‘It’s meaningful for us’: CCHASM looking Thanksgiving meal program volunteers

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - Next Monday, the Chesterfield Colonial Heights Alliance for Social Ministry will start to sort and prepare thousands of bags for their annual Mary Anne Weeks Thanksgiving Program.

“We have a whole idea of giving hearts and caring hands,” said Dawn McCoy, chief executive officer of CCHASM. “When we all come together to be able to help close that gap for our neighbors and friends in need, it certainly fills something of an opportunity this holiday season.”

At this time, McCoy anticipates the nonprofit will make nearly 4,000 meals for families in need. Last year, the organization served 3,100 non-perishable meal packages.

At this time, 360 volunteers have registered to help prepare and distribute the meals, but McCoy said they are looking for an additional 100 volunteers to help them.

“We need helping hands to not only help us through that front end of sorting and packing, reviewing all of the items for accuracy but also making sure when we get to that meal distribution phase, that we have extra hands to keep moving through the warehouse,” McCoy told NBC12 over Zoom on Wednesday.

The organization has helped residents get a meal on their tables for years. This year, McCoy said they’ve seen a significant number of requests come in as inflation continues to impact the gas pump and grocery store prices.

“We absolutely have had a significant need and uptick in requests,” McCoy said. “We have year-round food pantries, and those are being filled regularly with requests for people who may not have received food assistance previously.”

In addition, McCoy said their initiative with DoorDash will allow them to deliver over 200 meals to those in need.

“We are partnering with DoorDash, Project Dash Initiative, this year to deliver food from area hubs, including the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, to help alleviate that gas price burden,” McCoy said.

The meals will be prepared between Nov. 14-18 at the Fairgrounds Exhibition Center. The bags will be distributed at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, to those who have registered, on Nov. 19.

If you would like to volunteer for this program, you can click here.

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