Mt. Holly, N.J. – Oaks Integrated Care, a behavioral health service provider, has announced the launch of its 2019 Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive to benefit individuals and families in need throughout New Jersey. Donations of frozen turkeys and nonperishable Thanksgiving food items can be made now through November 18.
Oaks Integrated Care hopes to collect over 1,900 turkeys to help make Thanksgiving special for families in their programs. Last year, Oaks distributed over 1,900 Thanksgiving dinners to families in need and this year the need is just as great.
“Through our Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, we assist community members living in poverty and struggling with mental illness or a developmental disability to celebrate the holiday with a traditional Thanksgiving meal,” said Derry Holland, Oaks Chief Executive Officer. “On average, our food pantries in Mt. Holly and Berlin serve over 800 families monthly. We expect this number to increase as the Thanksgiving holiday nears. The donations we receive provide families the opportunity to enjoy a special Thanksgiving meal and the memories that go along with it.”
Requested donations include: frozen turkey, frozen ham, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, canned yams, pie filling, and boxed cake mixes.
Drop off donations to the Mt. Holly Food Pantry at 770 Woodlane Road, Suite 16, Mt. Holly or the Berlin Food Pantry at 128 Berlin Cross Keys Road, Berlin. Oaks Integrated Care encourages companies, faith-based organizations and civic groups interested in holding food drives to contact the Development Office at 609-267-5928 for more details.
Individuals or companies interested in helping a family in need can also make a monetary donation online at www.oaksintcare.org or by mail.
Having food should not have to be a choice. Oaks encourages the community to focus not just on ensuring everyone has a turkey on the table but also about raising awareness for hunger. The reality is more than 170,000 South Jersey residents do not know where their next meal will come from. That’s 1 in 7 people who are food insecure, which means they don’t have regular access to enough food for a healthy life. When forced to make tough choices on how to spend a limited income, groceries often fall to the bottom of the list after medication, rent, utilities and heating fuel.
About Oaks Integrated Care
Oaks Integrated Care offers over 230 programs for vulnerable adults, children and families in nineteen counties throughout New Jersey. Programs include group homes, in-home services, case management, day treatment, foster care and adoption support, outpatient and partial care services, crisis stabilization services, food pantries and special needs supportive housing. For more information, please visit www.oaksintcare.org or call the Development Office at 609-267-5928.
