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Hundreds of families in need in Plano got a head start on Thanksgiving dinner, drive-through style.
Nearly 100 volunteers worked to give out more than 1,000 turkeys and other groceries to give the families in need Friday afternoon.
Teresa Biggs drove an hour from Farmersville to get to the event.
“It gives my family a Thanksgiving dinner that I can't afford to buy,” she said. “There's not any other places that give the food like they do.”
The offer came at the right time for 73-year-old Roosevelt Brooks.
“My wife just had a stroke last year, real bad stroke, and that's been tough on us,” he said.
Some people in line were food pantry clients while others were referred by Plano schools.
Volunteer Ligia Urrego says the drive-thru service started four years ago with 600 dinners. This year, Seven Loaves Community will give out more than 1,250 dinners.
“I know this doesn't fix the long-term. But if we can brighten their day and help them have a blessed Thanksgiving, we're grateful to have a part in that,” said Director Jeff Dolley.
By nightfall, General Manager Terry Breedlove takes stock of the effort to feed Collin County families who are struggling to keep their financial footing.
“So many people are on the edge of hunger. It just takes one broken arm or one bill or a car or loss of one job,” he said. “We're extremely blessed, but the gap between the haves and have-nots is extremely wide.”