(BROOME COUNTY, NY) – With overwhelming support from the community, Holiday Giving Boxes will help provide 425 complete holiday meals to local families this week. For the fifth year, representatives from all partner agencies, including the Office of Assemblywoman Lupardo, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County, CHOW, Broome-Tioga BOCES School Nutrition Services, County Executive Garnar, and The Leadership Alliance joined together at the Broome County Regional Farmer’s Market to pack and then deliver boxes to families across Broome County.

Each box includes a turkey, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, and sparkling cider, along with locally grown potatoes, carrots, squash, onions and apples from local farmers. Cookies provided by two local bakeries, Sinfully Sweet and Sunday Morning Bakery, are also included in the boxes, along with a holiday cookbook developed by Nutritionists at CCE Broome.

An online fundraiser was set up to support the initiative, with a goal of raising enough to provide holiday meals to 425 families, including 35 for local veterans using funds from the Broome County Veterans Resilience Project. In total, over 2,120 people were provided a nutritious holiday meal through this initiative. Thanks to generous donor support of last year’s initiative, the group was able to significantly boost the number of boxes provided in 2024.

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said, “I’d like to thank the community partners who came together once again to support local families this holiday season. I am also grateful to the many generous donors who helped us reach this year’s goal of providing a record 425 boxes for our fifth year. Being able to prepare a healthy holiday meal for one’s family is something many take for granted. These boxes, that also include locally grown ingredients, will bring some needed cheer to many families this year.”

Tara Kenyon, Associate Director of Programs, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County said, “The Holiday Giving Box is one of our most cherished initiatives each year. We are incredibly grateful to our community for their generous donations, which enable us to grow this program year after year. In just five years, we have expanded from serving 50 families to 425 families. Additionally, by partnering with local farmers to purchase fresh produce, we not only enhance the nutritional quality of the meals but also support our local agricultural community.”

Les Aylesworth, Director of CHOW said, “The holidays are supposed to be a time of good food and fun with family, but if you are struggling with getting enough to eat, it isn’t very good or fun. Which is why we do the Holiday Giving Boxes. We want all families to have a wonderful dinner and by partnering with all these great organizations and local farmers and bakeries, we’re going to give 425 families that gift this year!”

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said, “Broome County is happy to provide additional funds for 35 local veteran families to receive a Holiday Giving Box. This time of year can be especially challenging for many, and thanks to the generosity of our community and the support of our partners, we’re able to make a meaningful impact while also supporting our local farmers and businesses.”

Julie Raway, Registered Dietitian, B-T BOCES School Nutrition Services said, “We are grateful to be involved in this community-driven effort that helps support students and families in our local school districts by providing them with fresh, local food during the holiday season. A heartfelt thank you to the community and partners for making this initiative possible!”

Stacey Duncan, CEO of the Leadership Alliance, said “It is so inspiring to see everyone come together to provide, not only nourishing meals, but also joy to families in need. This effort is a testament to the power of our partnerships and the incredible impact we can achieve when we work together.”