GPHC Command Central: A Dinner To Remember
GPHC Readies To Distribute As Many As 500 Thanksgiving Meals
By Lori Midson
Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.
And just like that, Thanksgiving is just a green bean casserole away.
Thanksgiving, to be honest, has never been my favorite holiday (that would be Halloween). But this year may change my perspective. My parents, who divorced more than 35 years ago — and haven’t seen or spoken to one another in 25 years — are spending Thanksgiving and Christmas together, along with my son, my partner and me.
My parents are in their early eighties and widowed. While I’m not anticipating a reconciliation, I’m overjoyed that, in a landscape where kindness and forgiveness are often overshadowed by cruelty and revenge, my parents are looking forward to seeing one another — and, they both admitted, giving each other a huge hug. For this, I am beyond grateful. A sign of a more hopeful future, perhaps.
While my mom will undoubtedly spoil us with her unassailable cooking prowess, hundreds of individuals and families in and around Park Hill will turn to us to help them put food on the holiday table. With the help of dedicated volunteers, we distribute between 450-500 meal baskets every Thanksgiving. The meals go to our food pantry families, Smith Elementary School students, low-income senior centers and other in-need individuals and families.
It takes multiple hands and bodies to make this happen. In the days and weeks leading up to our Thanksgiving giveaway, volunteers will donate more than 100 hours of service.
We rely heavily on local businesses to host food drives on our behalf. Individuals, churches, organizations and groups also provide financial contributions to cover our Thanksgiving expenses, of which there are many. With skyrocketing food and supply costs, those contributions make an enormous impact. We also request $25 supermarket gift cards, which we distribute in lieu of turkeys. (We simply don’t have the freezer capacity to accommodate 450 turkeys.)
Please check our website to see our list of Thanksgiving needs: greaterparkhill.org/food-programs/thanksgiving/. If you’d like to volunteer to help assemble meal boxes, visit our SignUpGenius link: signupgenius.com/go/10C094DACAA2FA3FA7-52398486-2024#/. We need volunteers between Nov. 11 and Nov. 26.
Financial contributions and gift cards can be dropped off at our office (2823 Fairfax St.) Monday through Thursday, and you can also make monetary contributions through our online giving form: greaterparkhill.org/food-programs/thanksgiving/.
We’re anticipating a record high demand this year, and we’re incredibly appreciative of our Park Hill community for helping us nourish those in need.
GPHC Membership
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. is a membership-based organization. The more members we have, the more persuasive our collective voice becomes. To become a GPHC member — or renew your membership — sign up at greaterparkhill.org/join-us/become-a-member/ or drop off a check (and say hello) at our office, at 2823 Fairfax St. We look forward to serving you as a valued member of GPHC, listening to your ideas and input and working collaboratively on projects, programs and issues.
Thank you to our current members, donors and volunteers for your kindness, in-kind and financial contributions, involvement and dedication to GPHC. You are deeply appreciated.
A complete list of people and groups who volunteered and donated to Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. last month is at this link:
greaterparkhill.org/october-24-donors-and-volunteers/
Food Pantry Needs
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. food pantry visits have increased more than 110 percent over the last year. The shelves desperately need some replenishing (and a few volunteers). If you’d like to learn more about volunteering, please email director@greaterparkhill.org. And if you’re at the grocery store, please consider donating a few items from the list below.
• Canned fish, meat and Spam
• Cereal and oatmeal
• Canned tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce
• Hearty soups and stews
• Canned ravioli and chili
• Canned beans (refried, kidney and pinto)
• Canned vegetables
• Canned fruit
• Cartons/boxes of mashed potatoes
• Dried pasta
• Instant coffee and teabags
• Shelf-stable packaged meals
• Condiments
• Travel-size toiletries
We accept unexpired (please, please be mindful of expiration dates) food donations between 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Unexpired donations can be dropped off in the bins inside Mayfair Liquors at 13th and Krameria and the Park Hill Library at Montview and Dexter during their normal business hours. Food pantry needs are updated as needed at the GPHC website: greaterparkhill.org/food-programs/emergency-food-pantry/.