In recognition and thanksgiving for the blessings God has bestowed, parishes and organizations of the Diocese of Trenton are hosting events and food drives throughout November, extending a helping hand to those in need during this season of gratitude. Click on the link to see a partial listing is below; check back regularly for updates.

Epiphany Parish, Brick, is making preparations for its Thanksgiving Dinner, with hopes to feed 1200 people for the holiday. Volunteers are needed to cook a turkey, make a tray of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing or dessert; to make phone calls and decorate bags. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, volunteers are needed to help put together meals for the homebound, deliver meals, and help as clean-up crew at noon. Food donations are also appreciated. For more information or to sign up, call the parish office, 732-458-0220, 615 Thiele Road.

St. Alphonsus Parish, Hopewell, will hold a Thanksgiving food drive Nov. 3-11 in the church at 54 Prospect Street. Please bring in non-perishable items. For more information or to volunteer, contact Sharon Skibbee, 908-806-7858, [email protected].

St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, will partner with the Kiwanis Club of Trenton to provide Thanksgiving Day dinners to clients of Mercer County Meals on Wheels, aiming to provide 300 dinners. About 50 drivers are needed to deliver the meals Nov. 22, beginning at 10 a.m. in St. Ann School cafeteria, 34 Rossa Avenue. In-kind donations of materials are also appreciated; please notify the parish in advance of donations. Volunteers are needed to prepare and package dinners. For more information or to volunteer, contact Mike McCormick, 609-208-9991, [email protected]; or Maryann Raccosta, [email protected].

St. Ann Parish Knights of Columbus Council 7000, Lawrenceville, is sponsoring a Thanksgiving Food Drive for the Mercer High School. The council is collecting non-perishable food items to be distributed to needy families from the school during the Thanksgiving holiday. Please drop off all food donations by Nov. 15 in the church foyer at 1253 Lawrenceville Road. For more information, contact John Sikorski, 609-883-2509, [email protected]

St. Anselm Parish, Wayside, is collecting Thanksgiving food through 12 p.m. Nov. 11, with the goal to provide 60 Thanksgiving meals. Donors are asked to take a feather from the display in the foyer of the church at 1028 Wayside Road. Shelf stable food should be placed in the large box in the hallway or in the Learning Center prior to Nov. 11. Frozen turkeys should be placed in the freezers in the pantry. Monetary donations may be left in the parish office. Volunteers are needed following Masses on Nov. 11 to sort donated items. For more information, visit http://stanselm.weconnect.com/.

St. David the King Parish, Princeton Junction, will offer sign-ups for its Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Basket Drive Nov. 3 and 4 in the church at 1 New Village Road. Volunteers can choose to provide food items, food plus a gift card or just a grocery store gift card for a small or large family. For more information, email – for Thanksgiving: MaryAnn Heenehan, [email protected], or Marueen Tuohy, [email protected]; for Christmas: Kathy or Bill Bercaw, [email protected].

St. Dominic Parish, Brick, will hold its annual Thanksgiving Food Gathering Nov. 3 and 4 before all Masses to benefit the food pantry. Food donations may be dropped off in the church lobby at 250 Old Squan Road. Items may also be delivered directly to the food pantry at the parish Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., through Nov. 9. A compressive list of needed items is available in the parish bulletin, accessible on the parish website, www.churchofstdominic.com.

St. Francis Center Human Concerns, Brant Beach, will serve a Thanksgiving Day meal for approximately 300 families.  The Center is accepting donations of frozen turkeys and shelf stable items until Nov. 12 at its food pantry, 4700 Long Beach Boulevard. For more information, call 609-494-8861 ext. 121.

St. George Parish, Titusville, will accept Thanksgiving food donations on behalf of Mount Carmel Guild Nov. 3-4 and 10-11 in the church at 1370 River Road. Turkeys may be donated on Nov. 18 only. The parish requests donations of several of one type of food item in the same bag, to aid sorting donations prior to delivery. For more information, visit stgeorgetitusville.org.

St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, Knights of Columbus Council is running a Thanksgiving Food Drive through Nov. 17. Shelf stable, non-breakable items may be dropped in the donation box in the gathering space of the church at 4620 Nottingham Way. Turkey and ham donations will be accepted at the rectory during the day, or from 7 – 8 a.m. Nov. 17 in front of the church. For food assistance during the holiday season, contact Mike Frank, 917-741-4258.

St. James Parish, Pennington, will host a Thanksgiving food drive for Mount Carmel Guild Nov. 10-11 in the parking lot at 115 E. Delaware Avenue. Please fill a bag with a complete meal. Donations can also be made by picking up a blue Mount Carmel Guild bag at Pennington Quality Market and paying $19.95 for the contents, purchasing a turkey certificate that can be redeemed by MCG or by making a monetary donation by check to Mount Carmel Guild. For more information, visit www.stjamespennington.org.

St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, is accepting monetary donations for its annual Thanksgiving Turkey Fund in the parish office at 685 Hooper Avenue. To donate a frozen turkey, please deliver to the parish food pantry between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, is collecting donations of food items Nov. 3-16 in the parish hall at 1 Phalanx Road. The items will fill Thanksgiving Baskets for more than 200 needy families in the Monmouth County area. Please purchase shelf-stable food to feed a family of four. A list of food items is available in the parish bulletin, accessible on the parish website, www.stmarycoltsneck.org. St. Mary Parish provides turkeys in addition to the donated items. In lieu of turkeys or gift cards, monetary donations are appreciated; checks should be made payable to “The Parish of Saint Mary,” and write “Thanksgiving Food Drive” in the memo section. For information on volunteering, contact Rose Farrow, [email protected].

St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, will be accepting Thanksgiving food donations, including shelf stable items, hams and turkeys, from 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 in the parish center at 3500 S. Broad Street. Volunteers are also needed Thursday afternoons from 1:15 – 3 p.m. to lift food products from 5-20 pounds. Distribution of Thanksgiving food will be Nov. 17. For more information, to make an appointment to drop off items during the week, or to volunteer, call 609-585-3848.

Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton, is collecting food for Catholic Charities in Delanco. Items should be left in the St Pius X Chapel close to the St. Joseph statue in the front of the church at 103 4th Street. Thanksgiving food items must be dropped off by Nov. 14; a compressive list of items is available in the parish bulletin, accessible on the parish website, www.shcriverton.org. The parish is also collecting Thanksgiving food for Bread of Life Food Pantry. Dry food items may be dropped off in the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel through Nov. 17. Turkeys may be donated to the pantry at Epworth Methodist Church, 501 Morgan Ave., Palmyra, during normal drop-off times: Wed. 1 – 4 p.m.; Thurs. 7 – 9 p.m. For more information, contact Dale Ness, 609-706-0436, [email protected].