Church donates Thanksgiving meals

BATAVIA, OH (Nov. 21, 2022) — Fifty families served by the Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS) will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal, thanks to the generosity of the Tree of Life Church in Montgomery.

Shalena Wilson (left) of the church and Sanna Gast of DJFS helped coordinate the effort. The church has donated food boxes for Clermont County families for a half-dozen years. Each box contains a complete Thanksgiving meal and a gift card for a turkey. Wilson delivered the boxes in a U-Haul truck this morning.

“It’s more important this year because, with the high food prices, a lot of families are going through hard times,” Gast said. She noted that all of the boxes are spoken for, and five additional families will get meals due to donations by the Board of County Commissioners and others in the community.

The majority of families are served by Children’s Protective Services, with several assisted by Ohiomeansjobs Clermont County and public assistance.

Gast added that food boxes are being accepted to help families during the upcoming holiday season. They may be dropped off 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays starting Nov. 4 at 2400 Clermont Center Drive, South Entry, Batavia. All boxes need to be marked with “Sanna Gast Food Box for CPS families.”

Items to include: Tuna-2 cans, Chicken-2 cans, Chili-2 cans, Spaghetti Sauce-2 jars or cans, Spaghetti-4 boxes, Complete Pancake Mix, Pancake Syrup, Fruit-2 packages of fruit cups, Green Beans-2 cans, Corn-2 cans, Potatoes-2 cans, Instant Mashed Potatoes-2 boxes or pouches, Cereal-2 boxes, Instant Oatmeal-1 box, Macaroni & Cheese-4 boxes or microwaveable cups, Soup-2 cans, Cup of Noodle Instant Soup-2 cups, Ramen Noodles-4 packs, Granola Bars-1 box, Powdered Drink Mix-1 container, Peanut Butter-2 jars, Jelly-2 jars