MONTICELLO – Despite the cold, dreary weather early Saturday morning, dedicated volunteers gathered behind the Sullivan County Government Center to participate in one of the largest Thanksgiving meal distributions in New York State history. 

Arriving as early as 6 a.m., volunteers worked quickly to assemble hundreds of food bags before distributing them to a steady stream of cars and walk-up residents.

The event, organized by the Regional Food Bank, was part of a massive statewide effort providing 355,000 Thanksgiving meals across 23 counties. In the Hudson Valley alone 114,000 meals were distributed with the Sullivan County site giving out 400 complete holiday meal kits. 

Each kit included a turkey and a 30-pound bag of essentials such as vegetables, fruit, dinner rolls, gravy and even an apple pie.

“We have about 40 or 50 volunteers and today were distributing 400 complete Thanksgiving meals” Barry Lewis, who led the local effort, explained. “Some volunteers even drove an hour or more to be here because signups in their area were full and they still wanted to help.” 

In addition to volunteers, numerous sponsors and partner organizations were on site, lending support and helping hand out meals.

Lines formed before the scheduled 10 a.m. start prompting organizers to begin early. For walk-up residents, many of whom were elderly, volunteers ensured they were cared for without long waits. 

“We’re not going to let people in their 70’s and 80’s wait in the cold,” volunteer Nicole Hill expressed. “Everyone receives a bag, it’s such a blessing to do this, with everything going on in the world, we’re all a community, we’ve got to stick together.” 

For Donnie Corbett of CSEA, this was his first time volunteering. “It was wonderful seeing the smiles on people’s faces and knowing everyone is helping each other,” he said.

Sullivan County Treasurer Nancy Buck also volunteered, emphasizing the meaningful impact of the event. “It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “It was fun putting the bags together and the volunteers were amazing, everyone wanted to jump in and help.”

Though it was a dreary morning, Sullivan County’s sense of community shone brightly. With volunteers, sponsors and local leaders united in service, hundreds of families will enjoy a warm Thanksgiving meal.