Families Forward provides Thanksgiving Meals with Support from Community Partners

This Thanksgiving season, families at the Bidwell Pantry experienced the joy and comfort of a full holiday meal thanks to the extraordinary generosity and hands-on support of community partners.  

Hundreds of volunteers worked multiple shifts to ensure every family received the attention and support they needed when visiting Bidwell Pantry in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. This included 30 Veridian employees who helped distribute Thanksgiving meals, hygiene essentials, and groceries to hundreds of local families. In addition to their hands-on involvement, Veridian Credit Union also served as the exclusive Thanksgiving Table Sponsor with a generous $12,500 donation.

Many individuals and organizations donated food and supplies to support record-breaking numbers of families seeking support. In addition, Polk County donated 350 gift cards to support pantry visitors this holiday season.

“With nearly 1300 individuals receiving Thanksgiving meals in just one week, we are so grateful to our community partners and volunteers who have stepped up and stepped in,“ said Suzanne Zutter, Executive Director. “The need is greater than ever, and Families Forward is thankful for everyone’s support.”

“Like many credit unions, Veridian was founded on the need to support our communities and the people in them,” said Veridian President and CEO Renee Christoffer. “The number of people facing food insecurity in our communities is growing, and it’s important that we support those working to address it – especially this holiday season.”

To learn more about how to support Families Forward or to volunteer, visit www.familiesforward.org.