Food, monetary donations requested

Project Self-Sufficiency is asking residents and organizations to donate traditional Thanksgiving food or to donate funds toward the purchase of food.

Donors are invited to sponsor a family for $50 or to make a contribution of their choosing.

Donations may include pumpkin or apple pies; canned vegetables, including yams and cranberry sauce; dinner rolls; gravy; and stuffing and mashed potato mixes.

Frozen turkeys also will be accepted; however, donors are asked to alert the agency ahead of time if frozen turkeys will be offered.

The nonprofit agency is gearing up to distribute complete Thanksgiving dinners to about 500 local families this year, so monetary donations are particularly needed.

”Requests for assistance are pouring in every day and we expect to serve more than 500 families this year,” said Deborah Berry-Toon, executive director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “However, our wonderfully generous community has consistently demonstrated compassion towards our participants during the holidays and we are confident that this year will be no exception.“

Contributions, or notification of the intent to contribute, are requested by Friday, Nov. 15 to allow time to package and distribute the goods to needy families.

Frozen turkeys may be delivered between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20; turkeys cannot be accepted earlier or later because of the lack of refrigerated storage space.

Individuals and families who need help at Thanksgiving are invited to call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500.

Thanksgiving donations will be accepted at Project Self-Sufficiency, 127 Mill St., Newton. To donate or to find out more about the programs and services available at Project Self-Sufficiency, call 973-940-3500 or go online to www.projectselfsufficiency.org