The Panther Valley Community Food Pantry needs Thanksgiving essentials to make sure that everyone in the community has a complete dinner on their holiday tables.

The drive seeks shelf-stable donations of mashed potatoes and stuffing to round out Thanksgiving meals for the pantry’s November distribution at the Panther Valley Elementary School, said Emma Hope, community school coordinator.

The pantry serves between 150 to 200 families each month, or about 700 to 800 individuals, said Rob Palazzo, the district’s supervisor of curriculum, student and community services.

“We expect that number to increase because of the holidays and also because of SNAP benefits being on hold,” Hope said. “This is super important for anyone that’s able to donate to help our community out.”

The pantry is working with Redner’s At Cost Program and another funder that is supporting the pantry each month to provide additional holiday sides, such as canned vegetables, she said.

“We’re going to purchase that as well as we’re going to work with Second Harvest to make sure we have those sides,” Hope said. “We’re trying to do a Thanksgiving bag so that we can have all the essentials for them to make a meal.”

The pantry would also like to provide proteins, such as turkeys and chickens, which haven’t been available through Second Harvest for several months, Palazzo said.

Any businesses or individuals that would be willing to make monetary donations to aid with the purchases of turkeys and chickens, should contact Hope at the elementary school, he said.

The pantry has been trying to secure a large variety of other food for peoples’ holiday tables, so that they have plenty of side dishes, and should they have to buy their holiday turkey or chicken, Palazzo said.

“We have a donor who has generously donated quite a bit of funds to supplement what we get for the food pantry,” he said referring to the purchase of sides from Redner’s.

The essentials food drive, however, is specifically for stuffing and mashed potatoes, Hope said, and the pantry welcomes all donations it receives from the community.

“We’re just thankful for their support,” Hope said.

Donations can be dropped off at any of the Panther Valley School District’s schools as well as the Narrow Valley Sports Complex, Mauch Chunk Trust Company’s locations in Redner’s and on North Street in Jim Thorpe and Wildoner Insurance in Jim Thorpe.

Donations will be accepted right up to the pantry’s distribution on Nov. 19 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the elementary school.