See the Impact: CarbonCorps Mentors Coordinate Thanksgiving Meal Drive for Nearly 60 Families
Nesquehoning, PA – Panther Valley families prepared for Thanksgiving with a food drive on November 19, 2021. Over 50 local families received turkeys and Thanksgiving sides at the holiday food drive coordinated by members of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s (UWGLV) CarbonCorps Mentoring program in partnership with local businesses.
CarbonCorps, a school-based mentoring program led by UWGLV AmeriCorps Program, aims to connect students and their families to important resources in the Carbon County Community. Nicole Pollinger, St. Luke’s Family Development Specialist, coordinated the donation and food drive to support Panther Valley families during the holiday season.
Panther Valley Elementary School received a donation of turkeys from Koch’s Turkey Farm in Schuylkill County and Union workers from the AMETEK-Westchester plant in Nesquehoning purchased additional turkeys to supply the Thanksgiving food drive. AMETEK also donated the accompaniments, including stuffing, applesauce, cranberry sauce, gravy, and sweet potatoes. “It means the world to me to be able to give back to the school district I attended from K-12. To be able to relieve some of the burden felt by families is a feeling like none other,” said Marsha Macalush, CarbonCorps program manager.
”I feel great knowing that kids I see and work with every day are able to have Thanksgiving dinner with their families. I know it must mean the world to those families to be able to celebrate the holiday with their loved ones,” said Gabrielle Obert, a CarbonCorps mentor at Panther Valley Elementary School.
CarbonCorps mentors build relationships with families in the school and encourage the Carbon community to reach out if they need assistance.
