While most people are barely even thinking about Thanksgiving, we’re already preparing for Christmas. Well, we’re preparing for our Christmas boxes, anyway. Each year, beginning December 1st, the Good Samaritan Ministries gives Christmas boxes filled with all the ingredients needed to prepare a traditional Christmas dinner to any family who comes through the door needing it.

Each family will receive a box filled with such items as a turkey breast, ham or chicken, dry milk, sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, sweet peas, peaches, mandarin oranges, stuffing, Jello, cornbread mix, flour, butter, eggs, cake mix, cake frosting, sugar, cooking oil, chicken broth, cranberry sauce, fruit juice, cookies and canned pumpkin.

We will begin putting boxes together after Thanksgiving so they will be ready to give to our friends beginning December 1st through 23rd. Please keep these dates in mind if you are considering holding a food drive to benefit this project.

Also, if any business would like to serve as a drop-off location for food, let us know and we’ll bring a box by and make regular pick-ups for you!

If you’d rather give financially, $18 is all it takes to provide Christmas dinner for a family!

Let us know if you’d like to help in any way! We can always use volunteers to help pack and load the boxes, as well.

For more information, call the Good Samaritan Ministries at 643-2273. Email us at [email protected] or stop by and see us at 305 Clark Street. Our hours are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every weekday except Wednesdays when we are open from 1 to 5 p.m.