LEXINGTON, S.C. — The holiday season is here and with that many organizations are ready to give back to their communities.
Serve and Connect partnered with the Lexington County Police Department for a day to celebrate a bountiful harvest and send boxes of food home to those in need.
“Today is about helping them today, if they need holiday groceries, we want them to come here. We want them to sit down and have a hot catered holiday meal but then there’s resources that can help from here on out that might make family changes or personal changes in their lives,” Sgt. Cameron Mortenson of the Lexington Police Department said.
200 food boxes were prepped, packed and passed out to families from all over the Midlands. The Thanksgiving meal included frozen chickens and all the fixings.
After picking up their food boxes, attendees were able to enjoy a hot catered Thanksgiving meal.
Jue McLemore, the community outreach coordinator with Serve and Connect, says it's so important to give back to the community, not only during the holidays, but year round.
“We want to make sure that we’re setting a standard and we’re sending a message that we are here for them and that we’re also here for their families,” she said.
Community organizations also attended the event and provided additional resources such as job opportunities, counseling and much more.
“They might come for their holiday groceries but they might leave with resources that are going to help them from here on out,” Mortenson said.
Neighbors say this gives them a lot to be thankful for in this season of giving
“It’s good to get around and speak to people and fellowship with people and everything. That's what God wanted us to do - love one another, respect one another and care for each other,” Lexington resident James Abney Jr. said.
The Lexington County Police Department and Serve and Connect have hosted this event since 2015 and say that each year it continues to grow.