Parishes around the Diocese are hoping to brighten the Thanksgiving holiday for those less fortunate by hosting food collections in the coming weeks. Following is a listing of parishes undertaking projects.

BURLINGTON COUNTY

Browns Mills

The Food Pantry in St. Ann Parish is accepting donations for Thanksgiving baskets. Donations of canned vegetables, soup, boxed stuffing, rice and canned gravy are needed. Perishable items, such as frozen turkeys, are needed. Items may be placed in the baskets at the entrance to the church. All donations need to be dropped off by Nov. 24 for food pantry distribution on Nov. 25. If dropping off a turkey, contact Joe Tierney at 609-234-0216.

Medford

The Medford St. Vincent de Paul Conference, Medford, will host its annual Thanksgiving Gifting Program Nov. 21, 22 and 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Caring Center on Jones Road and Nov. 24 for home deliveries. Volunteers are needed. Call 609-953-0021 and then select option 2.

Mount Holly

Sacred Heart Parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Conference will distribute Thanksgiving baskets to families the conference assists throughout the year. In preparing to help 200 families, the conference seeks monetary donations or donations of turkeys, canned cranberry sauce, yams, vegetables (corn and green beans) and gravy as well as boxed potatoes, stuffing mix, brownie mix and muffin mix; hot chocolate and tea bags are also needed.  Teenage and adult volunteers are needed to prepare, pack and distribute the baskets. Contact Jeanette Conrad-McKee, 609-320-2609, [email protected]. The schedule of preparation and delivery is: Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-noon, bag fresh vegetables; Nov. 22, 10 to 11:30 a.m., pack baskets or assist pantry; Nov. 23, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., finish packing baskets, set up auditorium; Nov. 24, 1:30 to 4 p.m., distribute baskets from auditorium.

Riverton

Sacred Heart Parish is collecting dry goods for Thanksgiving meals for those in need. Donations of instant potatoes, stuffing, gravy, canned yams, vegetables and fruit, cranberry sauce, pie filling, cake mix, sugar-free Jello, pudding and corn mix may be put in the baskets located in the church vestibule. Donations will be delivered to Emergency Services of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton and the Bread of Life Food Pantry.

Tabernacle

The St. Vincent de Paul Conference in Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle, needs donations of turkeys and food items to prepare Thanksgiving food baskets. The conference is aiming to provide baskets for about 150 families this year. The conference is distributing the turkeys and food on Nov. 24. Donations may be dropped off during food pantry hours: Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.

MERCER COUNTY

Hamilton

• Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Social Justice/Social Concerns Committee will collect frozen turkeys and non-perishable items to fill Thanksgiving baskets. Requests for Thanksgiving dinner food items include frozen turkeys, potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, gravy mix and dessert. The committee will also accept gift certificates from local grocery stores or cash donations to be used to supplement the donated items. Checks should be made payable to OLS-SA. Donations may be brought to the concrete storage shed in the back parking lot of St. Anthony Church, 601 Hamilton Ave., Hamilton, or to the rectory garage at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 3816 East State Street Ext., Hamilton, at all weekend Masses Nov. 23-24. Persons wishing to help the committee with the Thanksgiving drive, Adopt-a-Family or other activities, contact Kathy McGlinchy at [email protected] or call 609-890-8244.

• St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish will hold a Thanksgiving Food Distribution Nov. 23. Turkeys will be collected Nov. 20 in the parish center from 7 to 8 p.m.

Hamilton Square

St. Gregory the Great Council, Knights of Columbus, are collecting food for its Thanksgiving food drive to benefit those in need within the community. Non-perishable, non-breakable (no glass) food donations may be placed in the donation box in the gathering space of the church. Turkey and ham donations are welcome and accepted anytime during the day at the rectory or in front of the church on Nov. 23, between 7 and 8 a.m. Persons in need of assistance with food during the holiday season should contact John Zubricky at 609-275-9157.

Lawrenceville

• Lawrence Council, Knights of Columbus, is sponsoring a Thanksgiving food drive for the Mercer High School. The Knights are collecting non-perishable food items to be distributed to needy families from the school during the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year, the Knights and St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, helped between 55-60 families during the school’s Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter breaks. Suggested foods needed for this year’s drive include stuffing mix, mashed potatoes, packets of gravy mixes, rice or rice mixes, cans of vegetables, cranberry sauce, cans of yams and fruit, cake and brownie mixes, juice, coffee and tea. Donations will also be accepted. Make checks payable to the Knights of Columbus Council 7000, and put Mercer High School in the memo line. Mail to John Sikorski, 40 Lawrence Ave., Lawrenceville, N.J. 08648. Food donations may be placed on the shelves in the foyer of St. Ann Church by Nov. 20. Mark Mercer High School on all donations. For questions, contact Sikorski at 609-883-2509 or [email protected].

• The St. Vincent de Paul conference in St. Ann Parishwill collect frozen turkeys Nov. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. in front of St. Ann Church, 1253 Lawrenceville Road. Donations will be distributed to the Lawrenceville Community Center, Project Freedom and Mercer County High School.

• St. Ann Parish will serve Thanksgiving dinner to shut-ins across Mercer County. Last year, more than 100 needy members of the community received full turkey dinners delivered to their homes on Thanksgiving morning by parishioners along with the Trenton Kiwanis Club. Assistance for this year is needed. Volunteers are needed to coordinate preparing and cooking the food, the packages and delivering the dinners. Two preparation sessions will be held, one the week before Thanksgiving and the second on Nov. 27. To volunteer or for more information, call Mike McCormick at 609-208-9991 or email [email protected].

Trenton

Sacred Heart Parish is holding a Thanksgiving food collection the weekend of Nov. 23-24. The items needed include: boxed stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, canned sweet potatoes, instant mashed potatoes, desserts, cookies, candies cakes and breakfast items such as cereal and pancake mix.

MONMOUTH COUNTY

Colts Neck

St. Mary Parish is hosting its annual Thanksgiving Baskets collection. Every year, the parish provides donations to prepare baskets for more than 200 families in need in the Monmouth County area. Parishioners are asked to purchase items to feed a family of four: canned fruit, dry milk, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, coffee or tea bags, green beans, corn, canned yams, potatoes or rice, pie crust mix/pie fill or cake mix/frosting. The parish also provides turkeys along with the non-perishable food. Due to lack of freezer space, monetary donations toward the purchase of turkeys is requested. Make checks payable to “The Parish of Saint Mary” and indicate “Thanksgiving Food Drive” in the memo section. Donations may be brought to the parish hall through Nov. 22. To volunteer to help shop, sort, pack or load, contact Rose Farrow at [email protected].

Freehold

• St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral will collect Thanksgiving dinners for four, six or eight people Nov. 24 between 8:20 and 11:20 a.m. Items requiring refrigeration must not be brought in before Nov. 24. Gift certificates from local supermarkets or cash donations will be accepted. Food baskets will be delivered Nov. 24 between 9 and 11:30 a.m. Twenty-five drivers are needed to deliver to area families. Volunteers are needed to deliver hot meals on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28. The meals are prepared by a local restaurant and delivery is generally mid-morning.

• The St. Rose of Lima Cub Scout Pack 18 and Boy Scout Troop 18, Freehold, will hosts its annual St. Vincent de Paul Society Thanksgiving food drive Nov. 23-24 after all Masses. Non-perishable food items will be collected including: stuffing, gravy, vegetables, rice and beans. Monetary contributions will also be accepted. Food baskets will be prepared and distributed by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. All excess food will be donated to Freehold Open Door.

Howell

St. William the Abbot Parish is preparing Thanksgiving baskets. The social concerns committee is collecting turkeys, while the parish’s School of Religion children are asked to bring in fixings to complete the meal. Some meals will be distributed to Joshua House, a food pantry in Farmingdale, and some will be distributed to needy families in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The baskets will be distributed the weekend of Nov. 23-24.

Manasquan

St. Denis Parish St. Vincent de Paul Conference is in need of Thanksgiving items: stuffing, canned yams, cranberry sauce, jar/canned turkey gravy, canned fruit cocktail, marshmellows, cornbread mix, bottles of apple cider/cranberry juice. Items may be brought the food pantry located in Msgr. O’Connor Hall.

OCEAN COUNTY

Bayville

St. Barnabas Parish will be preparing Thanksgiving food baskets for persons of the community in need. The following non-perishable items are needed: canned yams, canned green beans, stuffing, turkey gravy, brownie mix, canned cranberry sauce, corn bread muffin mix. Items may be brought to any Mass by Nov. 22. Persons donating a frozen turkey should drop off the turkey on Nov. 25, 6 to 9 p.m. or Nov. 26, 9 a.m. to noon. For information, call 732-269-2208, ext. 1071.

Brick

Epiphany Parish will make complimentary Thanksgiving dinners available to persons in need. Dinner deliveries will be made Nov. 28 starting at 11 a.m. and supplied by the parish. For information and to set up delivery, call 732-458-0220.

The St. Vincent de Paul Conference in St. Dominic Parish requests donation of items for Thanksgiving food baskets, particularly turkey breasts and hams. The last day to donate is Nov. 23. Bring donations to the food pantry on Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Forked River

St. Pius X Parish’s Samaritans need the following items to prepare Thanksgiving baskets for  people in need: turkey/turkey breasts, stuffing, gravy, boxed potatoes, canned yams, cranberry sauce, corn, cake mix, icing and brownie mix. Shop Rite gift cards are welcome. Non-perishable foods may be placed in the Samaritan Chest in the church narthex or bring to the Samaritan Corner on Mondays, 9 a.m. -3 p.m. and Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon. Frozen items may be brought to the Samaritans or the main office during business hours. Distribution of baskets is Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Samaritan Corner.

New Egypt

The Loaves and Fishes Ministry in St. Isidore the Farmer Parish needs donations to prepare Thanksgiving food baskets that will be distributed to local families. Nonperishable donations may be brought to the narthex in the Assumption Church worship site before/after Sunday Mass, to the parish office during office hours or by making special arrangements. Turkeys may be dropped off before or after Masses at the Assumption site only if there is room in the kitchen freezer. Otherwise, turkeys must be dropped off at the parish office. Items needed include: turkeys or turkey breasts; boxed stuffing, boxed potatoes, canned yams, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, canned items – soups, corn, green beans; bread and cake mixes; icing; non-perishable fruit cocktail; desserts. 

Point Pleasant

St. Martha, St. Vincent de Paul Conference is in need of the following items to prepare Thanksgiving baskets: stuffing, gravy, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, soup, instant potatoes, coffee, canned fruits, tuna, pancake mix and syrup, cake mixes, peanut butter and jelly, snacks, puddings, drinks, paper products.

On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, The St. Martha Council, Knights of Columbus, will prepare, package and deliver complete Thanksgiving meals for individuals who are  homebound and families who are in need at no charge  The meal choices are turkey or meatballs and pasta. Deliveries will occur between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Meals also may be picked up in St. Martha Parish between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.