Mission United serves baskets to military families
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, United Way of Broward County’s Mission United recently donated 500 dinner baskets to local veterans and active service members.
“It’s a time to give thanks for the things we have, and as veterans in the community, it’s a great opportunity to do an outreach event,” said Mission United Director Ken Juede, a retired Army sergeant major.
The dinner baskets include all the traditional trimmings. In lieu of a frozen turkey, Publix gift cards will be given out so folks can purchase a main dish of their choice. The meal is valued at $65 and serves about five.
The offer included all veterans and active duty military regardless of need.
The invitation included the “citizen soldiers in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. We’re making sure we reach out to them and thank them for their service,” Juede said.
To help distribute the baskets, Mission United volunteers will set up a drive through-style lane for cars on the United Way campus. With the help of more than two dozen volunteers, drivers were able to pick up the dinners without getting out of the car.
Distributing hundreds of dinner baskets can be a logistical feat. The nonprofit simplified the process with Publix gift cards and the online reservation service Eventbrite.com. It was able to boost the number of families served from about 100 last year to 500 this year, Juede said.
Plus, donations from local nonprofits, businesses - and the sponsor that sparked the giveaway five years ago the 15th Street Fisheries - financed the giveaway’s growth.
“It’s another way for us to reach out to veterans in the community and impact lives,” Juede said.