Millville Club Supplies Thanksgiving Meals to Silver Run Families

On November 21 the Millville Woman's Club completed its annual Thanksgiving Basket Project by delivering bags of meal preparations to Silver Run School for distribution to families in need. The effort was organized by Mary Miskelly, chair of the Millville Woman's Club Civic and Outreach Committee, and included contributions of turkeys, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and desserts. School leaders received the packages to ensure selected households could enjoy Thanksgiving dinners.

School principal Eric Reissek and PTO representative Heather Garrison coordinated with club members to identify families and time distributions so meals were available before the holiday. In addition to the school allocations, more of the collected food was supplied to the Hope Center for its community Thanksgiving dinner, extending relief beyond the school population.

The project addresses a familiar problem in Cumberland County. Sharing a holiday meal remains a longstanding local tradition, yet for some households that tradition exceeds available budgets. Community organized food drives and meal projects like this one provide a direct, short term buffer against food insecurity by replacing an otherwise discretionary household purchase and freeing limited household resources for rent, utilities or medical expenses.

From a broader perspective the donations reflect how local civic groups and schools function as first response networks when household budgets are tight. While charitable contributions do not substitute for systemic policy solutions, they reduce immediate strain for families and can lower short term demand pressures on food pantries and emergency providers. For municipal leaders and social service planners the prevalence of such projects signals continuing need for coordinated approaches that couple community action with targeted support programs.

For residents the immediate benefit is clear, as families invited to participate received the ingredients necessary for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The Millville Woman's Club project underscores the importance of local volunteerism in Cumberland County, and it highlights how small scale community efforts continue to play a meaningful role in maintaining household stability during holiday seasons.