By: Anthony Bolton, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Multicultural Services of Atlantic City are giving out 500 boxes of a Thanksgiving meal, with each box including a turkey, to families for the upcoming holiday.
This giveaway comes from a growing demand for food services that the Multicultural Services and other departments of Atlantic City are attempting to satisfy.
Andrew Kramer, who works in the public information office for Multicultural Services, spoke about the several opportunities the several departments of Atlantic City are offering to help families for the holiday season.
Kramer spoke about the increase in registration for the food box giveaway, with registration ending only a day after it opened on Nov. 6 instead of the original deadline of Nov. 14. Families are now being referred to the Police Athletic League giveaway, and the hot meal delivery program has increased from 200 meals to 500 meals to residents in city housing buildings.
“With increased funding or donations, we would be able to expand these programs, reach more families, and enhance the level of support we provide throughout the year,” Kramer said about the need for more resources to run these programs. The funding for the Food Box Giveaway and hot meal deliveries come from Atlantic City’s Community Development Block Grant Office.
In addition to the Thanksgiving giveaway, there will also be a Holiday Food Box distribution for the holidays, and Multicultural Services is continuing to collaborate with other departments to host similar giveaways throughout the year. By the end of the year, the Department of Health and Human Services expects that all of the events related to feeding families will give away a total of 2,000 meals/boxes.
When asked about basic needs that the several departments of Atlantic City wanted to help with, Kramer said, “Our Department of Health and Human Services is committed to continuously addressing unmet needs for our residents, whether food, clothing, or essential items.”
Reentry Services and the anti-violence division is continuing with their annual winter coat and clothing drive, and each department collaborates with each other to fill in the gaps where certain needs are not met, Kramer said.
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