Charities Donate Thanksgiving Meals to 11,000 Boston Families

The United Way and Catholic Charities of Boston said they are teaming up to give Thanksgiving meals to thousands of Boston families this year.

Michael Durkin, president of the United Way, said the two charities are distributing turkeys and other items found in Thanksgiving meals to more than 11,000 families— a 3,500 increase since 2018.

“What we know is it’s a tough time of year for people stretching their budgets,” Durkin told NBC 10.

Hundreds of volunteers passed out more than 200,000 pounds of food for holiday meals at 20 different locations throughout the state, including the Greater Boston area and beyond, WHDH reported.

The project, in its 20th year running, gives needy families the ingredients so they can create Thanksgiving meals of their own, according to a description of the project on United Way of Massachusetts Bay’s website.

The Thanksgiving bags from United Way include cans of corn, green beans, onions, cornbread mix, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rice, beans, gravy, and an aluminum turkey pan.

Families also receive a turkey or a gift card to a grocery store to purchase a turkey depending on where they pick up their bags, Seacoast Online reported.

“I am really grateful to have this,” Mary Stover, of Dover, told Seacoast Online. “It’s a good program. I will cook Thanksgiving dinner for myself and my daughter Krystal.”