Fort Myers Community Cooperative delivering Thanksgiving meals to people in need

Giving back this holiday is one of the greatest satisfactions for a local organization. The Community Cooperative in Fort Myers has been collecting food and donations to provide Thanksgiving food baskets to those in need. They distribute 1,000 meals every day.

Helping people is a year-round mission at Community Cooperative.

Thanksgiving shines a light on what they do for people every day; feed the hungry.

Community Cooperative CEO Stefanie Edwards said, “we’re seeing a lot of need. Especially as food prices are starting to increase, there’s a lot of individuals coming to us looking for assistance whether it’s a hot meal, or they’re just looking for some help to make sure their families can have Thanksgiving in their own homes.”

Tuesday’s meals mirror what the co-op will serve on Thanksgiving. Turkey and mashed potatoes along with steamed broccoli made hot and ready to eat.

Overseeing it all is Chef Alan Dickey. He told WINK News that supply chain issues have forced him to get creative because not everything he’d like to serve is available, but at the end of the day, he’s thankful he can help people in need.

“It really is rewarding and it’s really something I enjoy doing. As a chef, it’s not your typical chef job, but it’s a whole lot more rewarding,” said Dickey.

Barbara Peck is a new volunteer with Community Cooperative and it didn’t take long for her to understand just how many people are not sure where their next meal will come from. “I’ve been here a week and I’ve seen an increase in the number of people coming in for the hot meal during the day.” Peck said, “it makes me feel one, so grateful for what I have. And two, so good to see them coming in and getting what they need.”

Fort Myers Community Cooperative will be serving Thanksgiving meals to homebound families through Meals on Wheels.