Members of historically Black fraternities and sororities volunteered to assemble and distribute Thanksgiving meal kits.
Walter Smiley, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and Project Give Back organizer
“Given the pandemic last year, we were limited and only able to distribute gift cards. This year, we are back in action, with real, nutritious food going out to the people who need it,” said Walter Smiley, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and event organizer. “We have been doing this a long time and each year the need grows. We are appreciative of all the people who come together to donate time and money to make this happen.”
Food boxes featured frozen turkeys, fresh vegetables, stuffing mix, ground turkey and gift cards. Project Give Back partnered with local community volunteers and organizations to identify local families in need and bring the food to them. The organization also packed two U-Hauls full of food kits and made personal deliveries.
Project Give Back invited the Fairfax County Health Department to participate in the event. Their Mobile COVID-19 Testing Clinic was on-site to provide testing to attendees and volunteers. With winter holiday gatherings ahead, many took a COVID-19 test in advance of getting together with families this week.
Volunteers with the Fairfax County Health Department’s Stronger2 initiative were also on site to help measure the health needs of the local community in the local neighborhood.
Families volunteered together to help pack and distribute holiday meal kits.