Thanksgiving in a Box delivered 1,050 dinners to families in need, exceeding the Pelham interfaith effort’s goal of 900, an impressive charitable and logistical feat during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With humble beginnings fifteen years ago—25 of the holiday boxes were produced and delivered—the project has grown into a major Thanks-giving effort in Pelham.

“We have come a long way,” said Tina Constable, organizer of the drive.

Constable said she was surprised at the level of participation and enthusiasm: “I didn’t know if  Thanksgiving in a Box would even happen this year in a pandemic, but when I sent an email to people who have previously participated asking if they would be interested in helping this year, the response was immediate and beyond enthusiastic, so we moved forward.”

Another factor that contributed to this year’s success was the support of Manor Market, which boxed up dinners.

“Manor Market’s participation was a game-changer,” Constable said. “Truly remarkable.”

As a result of the pandemic’s economic impact on families in and around Pelham, the demand for boxes was far higher than in previous years. The initial request from Family Services of Westchester was for 1,200.

As Constable put it, “The need was very real.”

The Covid crisis has not only affected the need for food and comfort at Thanksgiving.

“In the U.S., about one in four families have experienced food insecurity this year, meaning that the family did not regularly have enough to eat,” according to Katherine Pringle of HOPE Soup Kitchen. “This is a big increase, due to people losing jobs as a result of the pandemic. In our own neighborhood, the HOPE Soup Kitchen expects to distribute as much food this year as they had expected to distribute in a decade. Hunger is often a hidden problem, but we know that there are hungry people in our own town and all over the country.”

The success of this year’s Thanksgiving in a Box drive was dedicated by Constable to “the army of people in Pelham who volunteered their time this year as well as the team at Manor Market, who boxed 700 of the boxes.”