LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — 8,500 households across 15 counties will have a Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of God’s Pantry Food Bank. “Here today, we will probably do about a thousand. Fayette county is about 5,000 of the 8,500 total of about a week,” God’s Pantry CEO Mike Halligan said. This is the organization’s 31st annual Sharing Thanksgiving event. Back in September, families signed up to receive food for Thanksgiving. This week, they are hopping in their cars and will drive through to pick up their Thanksgiving dinners. “It’s less wait time, they don’t have to get out of their cars, and for those that don’t have transportation access, we [did] a bunch of home deliveries this past weekend,” Halligan said. He sais they couldn’t do this without the help of their volunteers. “The importance of volunteers and community engagement makes this process work,” he said. Over 150 volunteers dedicated part of their day to making sure other families could enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. “I think it’s great, it’s very impactful for them just to have a good meal with their family and friends and something they don’t have to worry about,” volunteer Scott Schepens said. “It’s one less burden for the family and they get to enjoy their time together.” Sometimes, meals can bring more than just enjoyment. “We often hear from neighbors who are experiencing hunger the importance of having a meal on their table so that they can gather around that table and talk with loved ones about opportunity for the future,” Halligan said.   Categories: Featured, Local News, News Tags: community giveback, Donations, Fayette County, God’s Pantry Food Bank, Thanksgiving meals, Turkey, Volunteer