MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — The shelves may seem well stocked at the Valor Clinic Foundation's food pantry at Camp Trexler near Kunkletown.
However, the non-profit will need much more for its annual Thanksgiving meal distribution.
"The harder items to get, we are asking for them early this year because we know in a 30-day window we are going to need about 1,100 cans of pie filling, turkeys, pounds of bacon, and pounds of butter,"
Mark Baylis is the founder of the Valor Clinic Foundation. He's keeping a close eye on all of the items needed to pack each box.
He says they expect to pack more than 550 meal boxes for veterans in need this Thanksgiving. As a veteran himself, Baylis says the holidays can be a stressful time.
"The financial issue we can offset some of the strain with this program at a trigger point is a large reason why we do it," explained Baylis.
The freezers at the food pantry right now are empty.
Officials at Valor say between now and Thanksgiving, they need an average of 100 turkey donations per week to get them filled up ahead of Thanksgiving.
"It's a lot of food, and the community has been very good and has rallied and helped with donations of food items, so we are grateful," said Baylis.
To learn how you can help support the Valor Clinic Foundation's Thanksgiving meal distribution, you can call 570-664-6468.