In 2005, the Huguenot Mission Committee brought a cooked Thanksgiving meal to 10 families, but the group wanted to have a greater impact in the future. The initiative partnered with Family Services of Westchester (FSW) to expand the reach and today this tradition is known as Thanksgiving-in-a-Box.
“Thanksgiving-in-a-Box takes a lot every year,” said Tina Constable, founder of the program. “Right now, we’re transitioning the event to be something multiple groups can spearhead. Each year, we work with many different groups. Historically, we’ve worked with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and this year the Junior League will be joining the effort.”
Over the years, Thanksgiving-in-a-Box has become much more than a simple food drive. In addition to bringing much-needed groceries to families in need, the effort has also brought members of multiple faiths and organizations together.
“Today, Thanksgiving-in-a-Box is an interfaith community effort,” Constable said. “It’s so much more than it was at the beginning. Many are involved, and we have multiple newcomers every year. In the 2020-2022 events, we were able to hit 1,000 donations.”
The event runs on the donations of people, and those donations come in the form of boxes. Participants purchase items such as pasta, canned vegetables and ham. They then package it all in boxes and bring them to Huguenot Memorial Church, from where they are delivered by FSW to families in Westchester. In 2016, Manor Market partnered with the initiative, allowing people to order boxes that are packed and delivered.
“Thanksgiving-in-a-Box runs on donations,” Constable said. “All of the food we donate is purchased and packed by volunteers, and we rely on the volunteers to keep the event running.” She encourages people to join the effort and said you don’t have to be a resident of Pelham to participate. People are encouraged to spread the word not only to family and relatives nearby, as they can now digitally place an order through Manor Market.
The items that are being asked for include one pre-cooked sliced spiral ham (8-10 pounds), two bags of rice (28-32 ounces), six cans of vegetables (15 ounces; any kind of vegetable), one five-pound bag of potatoes, one three-pound bag of apples, one one-pound box of pasta, one 24-ounce jar of tomato sauce, one bag/container of cookies and two containers of juice (64 ounces; no cider or any refrigerated juices). Boxes can be brought to Huguenot through Tuesday between 9 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Another way to be involved is to allow Manor Market to create your box. Just call 914-636-2208 and place an order for $80. Manor Market will put a box together for you and get it to the church.
