Hundreds of volunteers at Ascension St. Vincent's in Jacksonville, part of Ascension Florida, prepared and delivered 700 warm meals to local families in need across Northeast Florida on Thanksgiving morning. It was the 26th consecutive year the health system has prepared the meals.
Touchpoint associates at Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside and Ascension St. Vincent's Clay County prepared the meals using more than 700 pounds of food including turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberries.
"We are so grateful for all of our volunteers who wake up early on Thanksgiving morning to prepare and deliver the meals to hundreds of local families in need," said Tom VanOsdol, Senior Vice President, Ascension, and Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Florida. "Without this amazing team effort each and every year, hundreds of people might go without a warm meal on Thanksgiving. Efforts like this are what our Mission is all about."
Ascension St. Vincent's partners with Aging True Community Senior Services to identify meal recipients through its Meals on Wheels program, which serves more than 6,000 seniors in Northeast Florida every weekday, except holidays.
In Jacksonville, Ascension St. Vincent's also partners with zTrip and other local organizations to load the meals into taxis and distribute them to families. The drivers donate their time and gasoline to ensure meal delivery. In Clay County, the health system partners with community organizations including the Green Cove Springs Police Department, Orange Park Police Department and several local churches.
The activity was reported by WJXT and First Coast News.
