Early, on the morning of Saturday November 21, 2009, over 600 volunteers converged on Bell Multicultural High School in DC with the mission of touching the community in a special way.

Project GiveBack, a community service organization based in Washington, DC, held its 15th Annual Thanksgiving Food Distribution. People, from all walks of life, gathered to distribute over 900 nutritious food baskets to families in the Washington, DC Metro Area. Project GiveBack founder Ransom Miller, III told volunteers that the “current economic conditions have turned some Project GiveBack donors into recipients.” 

The stark need for assistance to underprivileged, and common citizens feeling the pinch of the worst economy of our lifetime prompted the organization to attempt to double the amount of families it assisted. This year, through a relationship with former and current military personnel Project GiveBack was able to identify 125 active military families (25 in each branch including the coast guard) who have been negatively affected by the economy.  Former Marine and Project GiveBack Board Member Edgar Jimenez said, “Charity organizations tend to think that the military people are taken care of by the military. In a lot of cases the military tries to work with them but is unable to meet a lot of their needs so charity organizations really need to reach out to them, now more than ever.”  Also for the first time, baskets were distributed in Baltimore, Maryland by long time Project GiveBack member Tim Lewis.

In addition to the volunteers at Bell Multicultural High School, Project GiveBack coordinated satellite distribution sites including La Clinica del Pueblo in Northwest DC; Barry Farms in Southeast DC; Culpepper Gardens Assisted Living Center in Arlington, VA; Bright Beginnings Northeast DC, National Center for Children and Families, Gaithersburg, MD, Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, Northeast DC Unit, Project GiveBack Baltimore Branch, and The Boys and Girls Club of Kentland/Glen Arden, MD.

Project GiveBack volunteer partner organizations included the National Pan-Hellenic Council of the District of Columbia, Girl Scout Troup 6600, DC, Howard University, Prince George’s Community Church, and Woman2Woman Social Group.

There is still an opportunity to support this and other Project GiveBack endeavors.  Please visit www.projectgiveback.org to donate online and see how you can get involved.

Related posts:

1. Bud Billiken Parade Celebrates 80 Years Event unites black families to mark twilight of summer, beginning...
2. Kid entrepreneurs grow food for hungry families In a neighborhood where 86 percent of the residents live...
3. Children’s Aid Helps Families Fulfill Their Goals – Creating Families with a Future Families with a Future is a unique new program...
4. Project aims to turn empty Dallas plots into vegetable gardens A new project is looking to change the way some...
5. Omega men mark 99 years of service Omega Psi Phi, the first black fraternity founded at a...