Thanksgiving food boxes packed up for delivery to Barrie families

Volunteers for Fresh Food Weekly were busy packing Thanksgiving boxes on Wednesday to hand-deliver to 75 families in Barrie.

Each box is filled with nearly everything you would expect to see on a Thanksgiving dinner menu.

"It comes with turkey or ham and also butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin pie, stuffing, cranberry sauce, butter tarts," said founder Leah Dyck.

Leah Dyck founded the monthly meal box delivery program for low-income families in June.

"Everybody knows right now that the cost of all things is insanely high, and most people are having a hard time paying for food," said Dyck.

As a single mom for 13 years, Wendy Hill said she knows what it's like to struggle, and it's one of the reasons she's volunteering.

"I've been married now for 25 years quite successful, so now I have tenants that are on ODSP and having a really hard time," said Hill.

From pick up to packing and delivery, the boxes are helping those who need it most.

All the food to fill the boxes is donated or offered at a discount by local farmers and businesses

According to data compiled by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Thanksgiving dinner staples have increased by 22 per cent compared to last year.

"I have about a 300 family waitlist every single month. I get people reaching out to me saying they are going days without food, especially in neighbouring towns that don't have a food bank," said Dyck.

At a time of year when the message is all about giving thanks, those involved say it's also about giving back, one box at a time.