Families lined up outside the Pentecostal Church of Hollister Saturday, where about 20 volunteers handed out boxes packed with produce, pantry staples and a Thanksgiving turkey—part of the church’s second annual effort to ensure no one in the community goes without a holiday meal.
Last year, the church gave out 100 boxes at Hollister High School to residents in need. This year they wanted to do more.
“We wanted to double the count this year especially with what’s been going on with the SNAP benefits,” said Pastor Matt Silveira.
The boxes include a 15-pound turkey, apples, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and other assorted produce. They partnered with the Salad Farm and a number of other vendors for the turkeys and other produce and the congregation raised the rest of the funds, Silveira said.
The giveaway was delayed slightly due to a truck coming from Prunedale with the turkeys experiencing a flat tire. Despite the delay, once the truck arrived they were able to get organized very quickly.
“While all of the boxes were reserved, about two dozen of them weren’t picked up,” Silveira said. “We found people to donate them too anyway, so nothing went to waste.”
He said they knew the need this year would be much greater with everything happening in the economy. “So we knew we had to do much more,” he added.
And they are already planning to do even more next year.
“We want to give back to this community that has given so much to us,” Silveira added.
The congregation meets at 11am Sundays at the Hollister High School auditorium.
Details: tpchollister.org/ or call 669.219.4987.
