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On Monday, the spirit of Thanksgiving came alive at Northside Baptist Church as a dedicated group of local volunteers gathered to spread joy and gratitude by delivering Thanksgiving boxes to those in need. The initiative aimed to ensure that everyone in the community can enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving meal.

The boxes, carefully curated with essentials for a festive feast, included a turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and a selection of canned vegetables among other things. Loaded into the vehicles of enthusiastic volunteers and members of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, these boxes were personally delivered to doorsteps accompanied by messages of love and offers of prayer.

Kathy Smith, President of the Selma chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, a local service organization, played a pivotal role in ensuring that every delivery was mapped out and smoothly executed. Grateful for the community’s collective effort, Smith expressed her joy in being part of this outreach initiative. 

“Today is such a blessed day to be out here with West Central Baptist, the Womans Missionary Union (WMU), all these churches, and the Sheriff’s department—delivering these Thanksgiving meals,” Smith said.

Smith also acknowledged the Selma Food Bank, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Dave’s Market, stressing that the collaborative effort of these groups and individuals was instrumental in making the event a reality. Without their support, she said, the mission to bring Thanksgiving to those less fortunate would not have been possible.

Sheriff Mike Granthum highlighted the significant impact of the event on the community, emphasizing the months of hard work invested in its organization.

“We can feed 10-12 people out of that box,” Granthum said. “You know, times are hard right now for people; groceries are really expensive.  We have a lot of people that can’t afford it during Thanksgiving, and we want to make sure nobody goes without.”

Selma Resident, Virginia Minniefield was one of the first stops of the day and she admitted that as she undergoes cancer treatment, times have been hard for her and her family. Minniefield revealed that the support she received from the event organizers went beyond just Thanksgiving boxes.