- Fast Facts:
- -Hundreds Line Up For Christmas Baskets
- -Mayor A C Wharton's Office Feeds The Needy
- -More Than 500 Families Received Baskets
No, these families aren't here for a fast food meal. They've come to pickup Christmas baskets from Mayor Wharton's Office filled with essentials for the perfect holiday meal that some otherwise wouldn't have.
One woman who didn't want to be identified says she's thankful for her basket. Woman said, "A good warm meal. It's a blessing at the holiday for the family that's in need."
An assembly line of sorts is setup. City employees are volunteering their own time to load box after box filled with turkeys and all the trimmings.
James Nelson is a special assistant to Mayor Wharton. Nelson said, "We tried this many times and they've been successful having people walk in, but this year we wanted to make it convenient for people being able to drive through and expedite the time they have to wait.
The need is great this year. Baskets were handed out to about 500 families. Greg Young considers this a blessing. Young said, "I think this is a great idea. God is good. It gets no better"
City employees say the basket giveaway is one way they can give back to the community.
Nelson said, "We're happy to be able to help the citizens of Memphis and provide a little more holiday cheer.
There will be holiday cheer for many needy families. By the way, Greg Young is already giving thanks and making plans for cooking his turkey at Christmas.
Young said, "I'm going to put it in the oven, let it cook slowly, listen to some Gospel and thank the Lord about this."
Mayor Wharton's Office said this year they received more than one thousand Christmas basket requests.
