Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project Opens Registration for 2024 Holiday Baskets

MIDDLETOWN, CT – Local families who wish to receive a basket of Thanksgiving food from the Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project can register beginning on Monday, October 28, 2024.

The Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project was established to ensure that all Middletown families who couldn’t afford to purchase a Thanksgiving meal have the opportunity to enjoy a holiday feast with loved ones. This year, volunteers with the Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project will assemble baskets of food for roughly 1,000 Middletown families.

Registration for the Thanksgiving baskets will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from noon to 4pm at Amazing Grace Food Pantry at 16 Stack Street, starting October 28th and running through November 22nd (with the exception of Monday, November 11th for Veterans Day). Individuals will also have the opportunity to register at Russell Library at 123 Broad Street in Middletown on Tuesday, November 12th from 5:30-7:30pm.

To register, individuals must provide proof of Middletown residence (or be a regular shopper at Amazing Grace Food Pantry) and an ID for each family member. Acceptable forms of ID include: a birth certificate, a medical card, social security card, driver’s license, as well as a DSS or housing listing. Proof of Middletown residence may include: a utility bill, a lease agreement, rental receipts, driver’s license or Connecticut ID.

Baskets will be available for families to pick up on Tuesday, November 26th between 11am and 3pm at Fellowship Church at 1002 Saybrook Road in Middletown. Baskets will only be available for those who have registered in advance. There will also be a walk-up area for individuals taking public transportation.

The Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project is accepting monetary donations to purchase both food and non-food items. If you’d like to contribute, checks can be made to “MCTP” and sent to MCTP, c/o Fellowship Church, 1002 Saybrook Road, Middletown, CT 06457. If you’d like to volunteer or contribute in another way, please contact Lara SantaMaria at Fellowship Church by calling 860-346-1181 or by email at MCTP2013@yahoo.com.

The Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project thrives thanks to the generosity of local businesses, nonprofit organizations, churches, and countless volunteers. "It's truly a team effort," Event Coordinator Lara SantaMaria said, “It’s everybody pouring into the community and letting people know that there is hope out there and that there are people rooting them on and supporting them.”