Society of St. Vincent de Paul gears up to feed 600 Juneau families this Thanksgiving

JUNEAU — The turkeys were ordered in June.

That’s how far ahead the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Juneau has to plan to put a complete Thanksgiving dinner on the tables of hundreds of Juneau and Douglas households, said Mollie Carr, the organization’s executive director. Each June, organizers look at the previous year’s sign-ups and estimate more. This year they are planning for 600 families.

Last year, a local society delivered more than 500 Thanksgiving meals across the city.

The need is growing. Carr said requests for help are running about 30 percent higher than a year ago, driven by a mix of national and local financial pressures, with automobile fuel costs in Juneau at about $7 a gallon.

“It’s stressful for individuals, for families and for nonprofits,” Carr said. “How do you plan for these expenditures?”

The society feels those pressures directly. Last winter’s record snowfall cost St. Vincent de Paul more than past years in plowing fees for its properties.

“We don’t know what this winter will be like,” Carr said.

Each Thanksgiving package is meant to be complete. It includes a frozen turkey or turkey breast, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, corn, yams, cranberries, gravy mix and a pumpkin pie.

“No one needs to purchase anything for their dinner,” Carr said. “We supply everything right down to the stick of butter.”

Assembling the meals is a big job. The local society clears all the furniture out of a community room at St. Vincent de Paul offices on Teal Street to make space for packing. A box truck parked outside holds the turkeys and pies. Families who pick up their own meals collect their bags inside, wheel them out in a cart, and get their turkey and pie at the truck.

Most recipients can’t pick up, though, so their meals are delivered.

Deliveries take place Nov. 21, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Carr estimates the effort will need 75 to 80 delivery teams of two or more people, with each team reaching five to eight families.

“We’re all about making it supportive and fun,” Carr said. “It gets people enthusiastic. The feedback is amazing.”

Each meal costs the society $90 to $100 to supply, which puts the total for this year’s program at roughly $55,000 to $65,000. Canned goods come from Fred Meyer and Safeway, along with private donations.

“It takes everything to support the need in the community,” Carr said.

The program is supported by board members and volunteers. Carr said it is just as big an effort as Christmas, when St. Vincent de Paul runs its Adopt-a-Family drive.

“The Thanksgiving program reflects the organization’s mission: serving individuals and families in need, promoting human dignity, strengthening community relationships and offering hope to vulnerable people,” Carr said.

Fliers are out now for families who want to receive a Thanksgiving meal. Sign up by calling the St. Vincent de Paul office at (907) 789-5535, or at svdpjuneau.org. Applicants need to give a delivery address and phone number. Deliveries are made within the city and borough of Juneau only. Neighbors are encouraged to help seniors or others sign up.

Ways to help:

Donate food: Collection baskets are at participating churches around Juneau. Food can also be dropped off at the St. Vincent de Paul office in Smith Hall on Teal Street.

Donate money: Donations buy turkeys, pies and other items. Please give online at svdpjuneau.org.

Deliver meals: Sign up as a team of two or more through the website or by calling (907) 789-5535.

Participate in events: consider joining in events like “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.”