Contact:                    

 Media@projectgiveback.org

202.250.1849 

NOVEMBER 19, 2011                                                                                   

17th Annual Thanksgiving Food Distribution 

Area Citizens ‘Give Back’ to the Community

 providing food baskets to over 1,000 D.C. Area Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to make the lives of more than 1,000 families a bit happier this Thanksgiving, Project GiveBack and its more than 500 adult and grade-school volunteers,  prepared and distributed Thanksgiving grocery baskets to local families, shelters and assisted living facilities.  Volunteers assemble ‘baskets’ containing two weeks’ worth of food – including Thanksgiving dinner – for families in D.C, Md., and Va.

“For the past 17 years our organization has worked to make a difference in the community, so we encourage others to join us in our efforts by volunteering or donating funds and so that we can have an ever greater impact this season,” said Ransom Miller, III, founder of Project GiveBack.”

Volunteers that participated this year include students from Howard University, Georgetown University, Bowie State University, Lafayette Panther Football Team and St. John’s Catholic High School. Several local Girl Scout troops and members of several national fraternities and sororities also participated.

Project GiveBack volunteers will assembled the food boxes at Columbia Heights Educational Campus (formerly Bell Multicultural High School) at 3101 16th St. NW, Washington, D.C.  Deliveries went to underserved families in D.C., Md., and Va.  Afternoon satellite distribution sites were also held at Barry Farms, Shaw, Kentland/Glendarden MD, and Fairfax VA.

WTOP reporter Max Smith (twitter: amaxsmith) covered the event and posted his story at http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2639665.  Audio stories will also run through Thanksgiving Day.

Below is a listing of the Sponsors who contributed towards this effort (as of 11/14/2011):

To learn more about Project GiveBack go to: www.projectgiveback.org.

About Project GiveBack

Over the years, Project GiveBack has grown from a small group of concerned men and women to an organization that is positively impacting lives in several communities around the U.S. Project GiveBack has coordinated events in Dallas, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, St. Louis, and Denver. More than 17 years ago, Ransom Miller came up with the idea of feeding families. At an early age, Ransom learned the importance of helping others from his parents, who were heavily involved in church.  He is inspired by the words of Shirley Chisholm, politician, educator, and author and the first black Congresswoman who said, “Service is our rent on earth.” Ransom and some faithful friends decided to live by that motto, and Project GiveBack was born. They started creating Thanksgiving gift baskets and distributing them to families in need.  During the first year, Project GiveBack delivered food to six families. This year, Project GiveBack distributed food to 1,000 families and provided the average family with two weeks’ worth of groceries, including a turkey dinner.    

As we gear up for the final push to solicit financial and volunteer support for the Project GiveBack 16th Annual Thanksgiving Food Distribution I began to reflect on our journey which began in 1995 in the break room of consulting firm Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio and Associates. That year we collected money from colleagues and purchased Thanksgiving Food Baskets for six families the Saturday before the holiday centered on giving thanks. We leveraged the compassionate hearts of those who were doing well financially against those who had fell upon hard times. For the past 16 years, the focus of soliciting individuals, corporations and organizations and providing resources to the neediest among us has been a primary focus for Project GiveBack. Since that time, we have watched our economy dip and dodge around, but since 2007, we have witnessed a vicious surge in the amount of families that find themselves in a position of need. Early on, we depended heavily on the local and federal poverty agencies to provide family lists, but in recent years we have developed partnerships with like minded organizations, churches, homeless shelters and other groups who have proven to be efficient in identifying people in need.

Several of the individuals and families we serve deal with issues most of us cannot even comprehend. Do I buy groceries or pain medicine? Do I pay my electric bill or buy metro card so I can get to work? Do I buy diapers for my child or assist my mother with her car note. These dilemmas are real and far too common in our community. Unfortunately, these issues are not new to us. The most compelling phenomenon we have noticed is the increasing number of situations where a faithful Project GiveBack supporter finds him/herself in a position of need. This is a typical representation of what several community groups and who service underprivileged individuals and families. The evolving portrait of poverty is a true reality. The faces of those dealing with poverty issues are becoming more familiar. Your neighbor, your cousin, even your coworker could be masking their poverty due to the unfair and downright cruel stereotypes that plague poverty stricken individuals. Most people who find themselves in this position attempt to hide it for fear of embarrassment from their peers and sometimes even family. Though there are plenty of cases where shiftlessness and laziness have led to poverty conditions, we are increasingly seeing highly educated/skilled people in this unchartered unprivileged territory. Job loss and reduction in work hours due to company cutbacks and budgetary issues are obvious reasons for this evolution. However the growing underemployed population should be considered in this evolving portrait as well.

As a young man, I often saw social ills and pontificated on ways to cure them. In my short 40 years, I have learned that some remedies are beyond my span of control. On a grand scale, poverty is one of those tough issues that men and women much smarter, more enthusiastic, more ingenious, and more resourceful than I have been unable to fully address. While we may not be able to fully address this issue, WE CAN (and will) Make a Difference in the lives of some dealing with poverty and hunger in our area. On November 20, 2010 hundreds of volunteers will take over Bell Multicultural High School in Washington DC in an effort to provide food baskets to 1,000 needy families in the DC, Maryland and Virginia Area. It’s not too late to join our honorable quest. Visit www.projectgiveback.org to see how you can volunteer and make a charitable donation to this effort.