Holiday Helpings at Bread for the City–our annual tradition of providing a turkey and all the trimmings to thousands of DC families–may not make the headlines, where stories focus on scarcity and a lack of resources experienced by our community. But, in our centers, I’ve seen true abundance and an outpouring of support from neighbor to neighbor, a web of groups, individuals, and families coming together to make sure no one goes without this holiday season. A real abundance of community.

We are just four days away from Thanksgiving. For many of us, the weeks leading up to the holidays are full of planning, shopping, and anticipation. And it’s no different at Bread for the City, where we plan all year for our annual Holiday Helpings program. It’s one of our longest-running traditions. A 34-year effort driven not only by staff, but by a community of supporters who believe everyone deserves the dignity, joy, and stability of a holiday meal.

This year, that belief is even more poignant.

Here in DC, and across the country, families are still reeling from the unprecedented SNAP pause and other disruptions from the longest federal government shutdown in history. As tens of thousands of DC households who rely on SNAP woke up this month with no food benefits coming in, families already on the edge were forced into impossible choices: paying rent or buying groceries, ensuring utilities are kept on or putting dinner on the table. During this crisis, our abundant community network became a vital lifeline to keep families fed, elders cared for, and federal workers sustained.

Holiday Helpings is an opportunity to replace painful household decisions with something tangible, comforting, and immediate: a week’s worth of groceries, complete with a holiday turkey.

And this is where you made a difference.

So far this year, more than 1,150 households, corporate partners, and other supporters have donated to Holiday Helpings. Hundreds of noteworthy donors are extending their own tables this holiday to make sure that others in DC can share in the warmth and nourishment of Thanksgiving. In sponsoring a family, you become part of a community, contributing to another family’s abundance, refusing to let anyone face this season alone.

As Bread for the City prepares for challenges in the new year brought by historic cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other support programs–impacts that are yet to be fully grasped–we’re asking you to continue to stand with us.

–Help us bridge the gap created by the SNAP pause and the government shutdown.

–Help us meet rising food insecurity head-on as our region struggles against increasing grocery and household costs.

–Help us ensure thousands of families can sit down to a full Thanksgiving meal with peace of mind and a break from the impossible choices they face.

There’s still time to sponsor a family, and to invite others to join you. Visit breadforthecity.org/holidayhelpings today to donate and to create your unique Holiday Helpings giving drive. Through your drive, your family and friends can come together to support a shared cause and ensure Bread for the City will not have to turn anyone away who comes through our doors in November. Together, we can be a part of the community of care.

As we count down the days until Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for every single supporter who makes Holiday Helpings possible. Your combined efforts have let thousands of families know they are not alone this holiday. This is the abundance of the season.

Ashley Domm
Head of Advancement & Chief Development Officer
Bread for the City