BRYAN, Texas — For the past four years, the Brazos Valley Adult Protective Services board has donated Thanksgiving baskets to their clients in need.
As the need for food assistance grows, according to the latest food bank data, APS board members explained how the need is always there. On Tuesday, members filled 12 baskets with all the Thanksgiving fixings—turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, all you need for the feast.
As chillier temperatures have moved into the Brazos Valley, they've added some winter items in the baskets, such as blankets and fuzzy socks. Watercrest Independent Living, a senior citizen home in Bryan has been donating to APS for years.
APS specialist, Nikki Parker explained how COVID was a challenge for them to hand deliver the meals like usual, early on.
Despite those challenges, being able to be a helping hand to the community is what she describes as the reward.
"Of course we stayed our six feet distance but we were still able to provide during that time so they still weren't going without," she said. "It's nice to be able to provide something like this for them, to give them a little bit of joy during the holidays."
Like many organizations in the Brazos Valley, they too encourage people to give back in any way they can this holiday season and to be the reason someone else is thankful.