JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hundreds of families throughout the community now have one more reason to give thanks.
Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside and several community partners met early Thanksgiving morning to pray and pack meals for families in need. Volunteers and associates prepared more than 700 meals through the health system’s 28th annual Meals on Wheels Program.
“This is a day where a lot of folks are thanking God for what they have,” Jon Cooper, Ascension St. Vincent’s Regional President, said. “There are still people in our community that are lacking.”
Several community partners came together including TouchPoint, Z-Trip Taxi, and Aging True.
Z-Trip taxis are delivering more than 700 families a hot Thanksgiving dinner, a meal they wouldn’t usually have on Thursday.
The nutritious meals were prepped by TouchPoint. The organization started cooking at 1 a.m. Thursday morning. The hot meals include turkey, gravy, mash potatoes, and green bean casserole.
“This is one way we can continue to serve our mission, to serve those who are poor and vulnerable,” Cooper said. “So, it’s really important not only as a healthcare system are we here to provide healthcare. We’re here to help them heal, we’re helping them with meals, we’re trying to reach out to the community to let them know we’re here for them.”
Ascension St. Vincent’s also partners with Aging True Community Senior Services to identify meal recipients.
“This partnership between Ascension St. Vincent’s, zTrip, and the various other volunteer groups involved has allowed us to provide homebound seniors with not only a meal, but the warmth and kindness displayed by our entire community,” said Aging True Community Senior Services CEO Teresa K. Barton. “As we continue to adapt to the landscape brought on by the pandemic, partnerships like this become even more vital to ensuring we provide our seniors with the care and assistance they need.”
To learn more about Ascension St. Vincent’s, click here.