With Thanksgiving approaching, many families are looking forward to gathering around the dinner table to celebrate the holiday. However, some families will find it challenging to afford a Thanksgiving meal and will turn to Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties (JFS) for assistance.

Last year, JFS provided 675 meals to families and this year, JFS will once again host its annual Turkey Drive in order to offer traditional Thanksgiving dinners. There are three convenient ways you can support this program:

Donate a Complete Meal

For $45, you can provide a family with a holiday meal. This includes a Turkey or Kosher Turkey with all the side dishes.

Fill a Bag

Every meal provided is complete with a bag full of all the sides including mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, macaroni & cheese, string beans, corn, gravy, and cranberry sauce. If you are able to fill a bag or two, please consider this donation option.

Donate a Gift Card

A $25 gift card to a grocery store or a monetary donation allows a family to purchase a turkey.

JFS serves as a community staple by providing thousands of people annually with food and basic essentials. From January through September 2025, more than 13,115 people turned to JFS for nutritional support with our agency distributing over 118,340 pounds of food.

“JFS is committed to hosting the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive knowing that by providing families with hearty and nutritious food, they will enjoy a traditional holiday meal and spend quality time together,” said Andrea Steinberg, JFS Chief Executive Officer. “We are grateful for the many community donors – businesses, schools, organizations, and individuals – who ensure we can accommodate requests.”

Turkey Drive donations can be made online at jfsatlantic.org or by mailing a check payable to JFS, 607 North Jerome Avenue, Margate, NJ 08402. In addition to contributions, volunteers are needed to sort, pack, and deliver meals. Please consider donating your time. For more information, contact volunteer@jfsatlantic.org.

Photograph

On Sunday, October 19, Girl Scouts Service Unit 101 decorated more than 50 festive bags for the Jewish Family Service Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, helping to bring holiday cheer and meals to people in need. (Photo courtesy of Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties)