LCAC Wraps Up Thanksgiving Food Drive, Prepares For Christmas Food Drive
With the help of dozens of Lakewood community members, Lakewood Charitable Assistance Corporation was able to deliver non-perishable and perishable bags filled with Thanksgiving fixings to 150 Lakewood residences.
This was part of LCAC’s Thanksgiving Food Drive, which took place over the weekend before Thanksgiving. In addition to the 150 residences given bags of food, LCAC also mailed 150 Giant Eagle gift cards worth $75 to other families in need.
On Nov. 18, volunteers came in the morning to sort all the non-perishable food within an hour. Later that night, more volunteers came to bag the non-perishable food into 150 bags, taking less than an hour.
On Nov. 19, volunteers came to bag all of the perishable foods like turkeys and pies and were off to deliver to residences within the hour.
When the pandemic first began in 2020, LCAC, like many organizations, had to find a different way to help Lakewood families without hosting its twice-yearly food drives or spring cleaning drive.
In lieu of food drives, LCAC distributed $50 Giant Eagle gift cards to 300 families twice in 2020 and three times in 2021. In addition, it held a drive-thru diaper drive in 2020.
With COVID numbers decreasing, LCAC held its first event back with the Spring Cleaning Drive in mid-May, followed by the Thanksgiving Food Drive.
With the Thanksgiving Food Drive over, LCAC is already back in full swing to prepare for its Christmas Food Drive which will take place at the Lakewood Masonic Temple, at 15300 Detroit Ave., over two days.
On Dec. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., non-perishable food donations will be sorted. Later that evening, LCAC members and volunteers will gather from 6-7:30 p.m. to bag non-perishable food.
On Dec. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon, LCAC members and volunteers will bag perishable food and then hand deliver both non-perishable and perishable bags filled with food fixings to the community.
LCAC will need volunteers of all ages to sort food items, bag over 150 bags of food and deliver them to the community. The event will be held regardless of the weather, so dress accordingly to stay warm and dry.
On Dec. 10, members of the Lakewood Fire Department will be collecting non-perishable food items for LCAC at Fire Station 1, located at 14601 Madison Ave., through a drive-thru drop-off.
With the success of the Thanksgiving Food Drive and the number of volunteers that came to help, LCAC members hope for a similar success at its upcoming Christmas Food Drive over Dec. 16-17.
For more information or to make a monetary donation, visit www.LCAC.info. Make sure to follow Lakewood Charitable Assistance Corporation on Facebook for updates on the Thanksgiving Food Drive and to keep up-to-date with the organization.