Many consider lending a hand to someone who needs it a holiday tradition, and Tamaqua’s Salvation Army is no different.

On Tuesday, the organization hosted its annual food giveaway. About 300 families registered with Salvation Army in October to receive boxes of food.

A number of volunteers helped run the giveaway. Amy Wahalec works as an eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment and attendance advocate at Child Development Inc., a Schuylkill County based organization that focuses on preschool education. She spent Tuesday afternoon as both a representative of Child Development and a volunteer.

“It’s nice to see that there’s something in the community to help families in need,” Wahalec said.

Melissa Latham has been involved with the township’s Salvation Army for about a decade.

She serves as a case worker and program facilitator. Latham said a lot of hands go into coordinating the food giveaway.

The Salvation Army itself paid for some of the donations handed out, but a number of local organizations also helped collect food, assemble the food bags and distribute them.

This year, Latham estimates that more than 300 food bags were prepared for families in need. She also said that the Salvation Army amassed more than 400 turkey breasts for the giveaway.

“I think it’s a community effort,” Latham said.

Before the giveaway began, a line of residents formed on the sidewalk just outside the Salvation Army, but they didn’t have to wait long.

Those who registered in October checked in, picked up a pre-assembled food bag, chose a few perishable items, and on their way out, received their share of turkey.

The organization’s food giveaway was straightforward: to make sure families experiencing food insecurity can have a Thanksgiving celebration of their own. But Latham had even higher hopes for the impact of Tuesday’s giveaway.

“This way they can stay in and have their family eat, but I also think it’s a good connection,” Latham said. “This way, (people in need) know, ‘hey, they helped me on Thanksgiving, I wonder if they can help me out this time.’ 

“So I just think it’s a good community resource and it brings us all together.”

If you ask Adela Berrios, a Tamaqua resident present at the food giveaway, the Salvation Army on Broad Street has become just that kind of support system.

Berrios lived in the township when she was young, but moved to Puerto Rico for a stint because of family circumstances. She came back to Tamaqua three years ago, hoping to give her children what she believes will be a better future.

Since moving back, Berrios said, community organizations, and specifically the Salvation Army, have had her back every step of the way.

“I don’t complain about Salvation Army, Child Development, they have helped me more than anything since I’ve been in Tamaqua,” Berrios said.

“They have helped me with gifts, they help me with food, with clothes, with everything.”