Youth United Way and City of Memphis Emerging Leaders joined their efforts to assemble special Thanksgiving baskets for more than 40 Mid-South families. (Click photo to see it in a larger size.)

Thanksgiving just became a more enjoyable holiday for more than 40 local families thanks to last weekend’s project involving teens in the Youth United Way Leadership program and professionals in the City of Memphis Emerging Leaders Society.

The two groups spent last Saturday making “bountiful baskets,” a long-time initiative from Youth United Way which gathers purchased and donated food items for needy families to prepare Thanksgiving meals. Beans, sweet peas, yams, gravy, macaroni and cheese, cake mix and frosting, corn bread mix, rolls, corn, cranberry sauce and many more season’s staples were brought together with Kroger gift cards (so families can purchase a ham or turkey) to brighten the holidays.

“Our goal was to assemble 10-15 baskets, but because of the generosity of the Youth United Way students and employees from the City of Memphis Emerging Leaders team, we assembled over 40 baskets – a record number!” said Clint Anderson,  Director of Resource Development’s Priority Partners for United Way.

The baskets will go to pre-selected families in the Orange Mound and Highland Heights communities, with delivery by Wednesday, November 25.

Please see photo gallery below. Special thanks to Clint Anderson for the photos.

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