HARLEM HEIGHTS, Fla — The Gladiolus Food Pantry hosted a busy Thanksgiving giveaway on Saaturday.
Funded by donations and enabled by volunteers, 900 pre-made item bags and turkeys awaited pickup by drivers in Harlem Heights, some of whom had waited in line for over an hour.
Volunteers directed traffic and quickly loaded the food into vehicles while other workers stocked the distribution areas. The drive-thru giveaway line averages 100-125 vehicles per hour.
The founder of the food pantry, Miriam Ortiz, says multiple organizations, schools, churches and people are what make the giveaway possible. Each vehicle receives:
- A turkey
- Foil pan
- Mashed potatoes
- Stuffing
- Cranberry sauce
- Marshmallows
- Fruits and vegetables
Ortiz explained that tough economic times are met with increased demand by thankful families. Many locals, especially the elderly, are choosing whether to pay rent, buy food, or buy medicine. Thankful waves and pleasantries were exchanged during the slow-crawl of dozens of vehicles at a time. Some are able to eat for a week from this giveaway event.
