Feed-A-Friend, the annual drive to provide families in need with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, is short on funds.
United Neighborhood Centers' annual Thanksgiving food basket program has only a quarter of the money needed to help everyone who signed up.
"Not even close," said Nancy Dressel, development director for United Neighborhood Centers, which runs the 32-year-old program.
So far, the charity has raised only $8,000 of the $30,000 necessary to buy Thanksgiving food baskets, which include turkey and various fixings for the approximately 2,000 families who signed up, Mrs. Dressel said.
The food distribution is Tuesday at St. John Neumann Parish at Nativity of Our Lord Church, 633 Orchard St. in South Scranton.
"So we're kind of under the gun here," Mrs. Dressel said.
She theorized that because Thanksgiving is early this year, many traditional donors have not given for the distribution, but some probably can no longer afford to because the times are hard. Thanksgiving is Thursday.
"It's a struggle for many people," she said. "These are all clients of our agency. They are people who predominantly already have enrolled with us. ... These are mostly families with children, and they have to meet (low-income) guidelines (to be eligible)."
A food basket costs UNC about $35 per family, but any size donation is welcome. Donors may drop off checks at United Neighborhood Centers, 425 Alder St., or donate online at www.uncnepa.org/donate.
Families seeking baskets must register first at UNC's Community Services Building, 410 Olive St. Today at 5 p.m. is the deadline for registering.
Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@ timesshamrock.com