For the 14th consecutive year, Judy’s Pantry sponsored a food drive to provide Cape Elizabeth families who aren’t always able to eat healthy with elements for a complete Thanksgiving dinner. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, 41 families were the recipients of the Judy’s Pantry outreach.

The food drive begins with Amy Lombardo and Jen Tinsman networking with families throughout Cape to provide bins of food including stuffing, cornbread mix, cranberry sauce, gravy, apple and pumpkin pie fillings, pie shells, dinner rolls, hot chocolate mix, dates and nuts, sparkling cider, dinner mints, roasting pans, Thanksgiving plates and napkins, and even more.

Beth Owen organizes a team of Judy’s Pantry volunteers to set up and organize the distribution of the bins from our church, in addition to packing fresh vegetables from Jordan’s Farm that include potatoes, squash, carrots, onions, and apples.

The bags of vegetables also include mini loaves of breads baked by members of the church. A total of 75 loaves were baked this year including pumpkin, cranberry, date-walnut, banana, chocolate, and Hawaiian banana. The creative and colorful bags for the vegetables and breads were once again decorated by Lisa Stevens and her daughter Rosie.

Finally, each family received a gift certificate to be used at a local grocery store for a turkey or whatever else they desired.

All of the bins were delivered to the church on Monday, Nov. 18 for distribution the following day. When each bin arrived, Luke Lombardo and Will McCoy carefully and efficiently brought them into Fellowship Hall.

The next day, cars lined up and volunteers from Judy’s Pantry wheeled out and placed the Thanksgiving offerings into each client’s car.

Thank you all for making this incredible annual event possible!