At LINK’s annual Thanksgiving and Christmas events, more than 500 volunteers participated with several thousand hours of service in assisting organizers to escort 705 — 1,565 adults, 1,970 children — needy families in selecting their five-day allotment of non-perishable food items and $15,590 in grocery gift certificates. Forty-nine walk-in families in desperate need were also received.
Volunteers helped restock shelves with 48,000 lbs. of groceries and loaded food into guest vehicles, made 67 deliveries of groceries and 22 deliveries of toys to the homes of people who did not have transportation to visit the host churches.
Volunteers distributed approximately 2,500 toys to 320 families comprising 980 children, acted as Spanish language translators, and distributed 600 used winter coats to needy families.
LINK received food donations from Scouting for Food and 40 public and private schools in Fairfax and Loudoun, as well as many local businesses and local grocers. In addition 3,500 lbs. of butchered and packaged deer meat was distributed to 3,535 people.
The meat was cut into steaks, roasts, ribs, chops, tenderloins and venison burger.
LINK is comprised of 15 churches, whose purpose is to provide groceries and grocery gift certificates to qualified people in need 52 weeks a year.