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Friends of the Poor kick off 33rd annual Thanksgiving program

BRIDGET SAROFF Times Leader Intern

The 33rd annual Thanksgiving Community Program kicked off Thursday morning at the ScrantonCulturalCenter.

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Folding Brochures are from left: Sr. Anne Newell IHM, Bob Walsh, Avery Salerno, Felicia Turner, Shane Williams and Dora Gregorio.

C. R. Woronchuk / For The Times Leader

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The Thanksgiving Community Program, sponsored by Friends of the Poor and the Family to Family organizations, will host three events this holiday season to serve the less fortunate in our community.

On Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 6p.m., a dinner will be held at the CulturalCenter, in which an elegant Thanksgiving meal will be served to nearly 2,000 people.

This year’s dinner will be hosted by Sr. Maryalice Jacquinot, who defines the mission of the program as “bringing together those who have a desire to give with those who have a need of assistance.”

The program will also provide area families with 2,800 baskets filled with all the necessary ingredients to make a Thanksgiving dinner at home. These baskets will be distributed on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at the CulturalCenter beginning at 9a.m.

To celebrate Thanksgiving and the success of the Community Program, an interfaith service sponsored by the Scranton Area Ministerial will be conducted at the BethelAMEChurch on Monday, Nov. 23. People of all faiths are invited.

Friends of the Poor is a non-profit organization that provides emergency food, clothing, furniture, and health care services year-round to the needy of the Scranton area community.

The Family to Family program, founded 23 years ago by Dr. Jim and Mary Lou Burne and their children, urges each family to donate $25 to create a food basket to be distributed to a needy family in the Scranton area.

Anyone interested in volunteering as chefs, servers, table setters or to assist in cleanup for these events, is asked to contact the Friends of the Poor office at 348-4428 or 348-4429.

Members of the community may also mail donations to the Thanksgiving Community Program at Penn Security Bank,
526 Cedar Ave., Scranton, PA 18505.