ORLANDO, Fla. – For Wendy Silva “Project Thanksgiving” is something she looks forward to every November.
“We want to make sure that everyone has a nice Thanksgiving,” Silva said.
Silva was among hundreds of volunteers who helped pack up meal kits Tuesday in an effort to get results for families in need.
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“This is one of the biggest projects that I’ve seen. The venue is great. There’s a lot of space for us to move around and get our bags in order, so it’s great,” Silva said.
The project is part of an annual tradition from the Heart of Florida United Way which hands out meals to families considered to be ALICE.
“ALICE is an acronym that stands for Assets, Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, working but living paycheck to paycheck and we hear about the rise in food costs, the rise in housing costs, that is hitting ALICE the most,” Lynnea Crawford with Heart of Florida United Way said.
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Crawford said 4,000 bags will be handed out to ALICE families located in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties over the weekend just in time for Thanksgiving.
“It keeps them in their home, keeps their family traditions going, and makes it so it’s not an out-of-place holiday, It’s something that’s warm and special to them even when they are having a tough time this year,” Crawford said.
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