New Bethany Ministries staff will provide complete Thanksgiving meals to families and clients on Thanksgiving Day. This year marks a dramatic change to the holiday as the agency follows CDC and state guidelines with curbside, to-go meal distribution.

New Bethany Ministries, 333 West 4th Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015

Thursday, November 26, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people than ever will rely on food pantries like New Bethany Ministries to provide a Thanksgiving meal for the holiday. To address this need, New Bethany is preparing to feed hundreds of families and individuals.

In 2019, 722 complete Thanksgiving meals, including turkey and sides, were distributed and 208 hot meals were served in the Mollard Hospitality Center. This year, 804 turkeys were donated last week to New Bethany from their Board of Directors, private donations, and a turkey drive hosted by Provident Bank and Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown.

These turkeys, along with typical fixings for a complete Thanksgiving meal, will be distributed as to-go meals for families and individuals in need. Olympus Corporation of the Americas hosted a virtual employee food drive and has donated close to $4,000 to provide holiday meals and further stock the organization’s food pantry. Additional financial and turkey donations were received from Lehigh University, Ocean Spray, Ewellix, Stuart Benefits Consulting, LLC, Christ Lutheran Church of Hellertown, and HoverTech, Inc.

Zekraft Catering ran a social media campaign offering a “buy one, give one” special to their customers. For every holiday meal ordered, Zekraft committed to donating an assortment of Thanksgiving side dishes to New Bethany residents, each enough for a family of four. The successful drive resulted in 240 sides being donated – consisting of a variety of freshly prepared dishes including whipped potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, chestnut sausage stuffing, green bean casserole, glazed carrots and cranberry orange sauce. New Bethany currently provides residence for 50 households in permanent and transitional housing.

New Bethany staff will begin preparing the holiday meals on Wednesday, November 25th. Some of the organization’s employees have been assisting with Thanksgiving for nearly 20 years.

In response to COVID-19 precautions, meals will be distributed by a small number of socially distanced New Bethany personnel and two volunteer families outside of the Mollard Hospitality Center. This year marks a significant drop in the number of volunteers used for Thanksgiving meal preparation and distribution.

About New Bethany Ministries

New Bethany Ministries, in their 35th year of service to the Lehigh Valley, encompasses programs that provide food support, clothing, referral services, showers, financial management, permanent housing for men and women, wellness services, and transitional and permanent housing solutions. Their mission is to provide opportunities for a secure future to the homeless, hungry, poor and mentally ill in the Lehigh Valley. To learn more about New Bethany Ministries, find them on Facebook and Twitter @NewBethMin, or visit them on the web at www.newbethanyministries.org

 
Information Provided By:
Tina Hasselbusch
http://www.socialTmarketing.com/
 

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