Two years ago, the Bridgeport High School Key Club set out to raise $3,500 to assemble 100 boxes of food – turkeys and hams and all the trimmings – in order to provide Thanksgiving meals to area families in need. Within a couple of weeks, that goal shifted to $10,000 to provide food to 350 families through the Clarksburg Mission, Harrison County Backpack Program and Shepherd’s Corner.

 

“Boxing it Up to Give Thanks” has continued to grow, involving the Key Club organization in other area high schools and on the collegiate level.

 

To date this year, the program has hit 1,200 box requests and are in the process of raising $30,000 to fill those requests.

 

When the program started, founder Hannah Povroznik said she hoped it would expand year to year, meeting the needs that sometimes go unnoticed.

 

“It is easy to overlook that hunger exists in our community,” she said. “It’s not just for third world countries, it is in our schools and back doors.”

 

She said at that time that her fellow Key Club members were passionate about the project and that is certainly evident.

 

In addition to the three original distribution organizations – Clarksburg Mission, Shepherd’s Corner and Bridgeport Backpack Program - boxes are now delivered through the Soup Opera, Bridgeport United Methodist Church, RCB Backpack Ministry, the Lord’s Pantry, Head Start, Harvest Pantry, Bread of Life in Salem, Lewis Backpack Ministry, Norwood Elementary Backpack Program, Feed My Lamb Pantry in West Union, Pantry Plus More in Morgantown, The Rack in Morgantown, the Doddridge Ecumenical Pantry, The Parish House in Buckhannon, First Baptist Church in Grafton and Lost Creek Helping Hands.

 

Two upcoming fundraisers will help financially support he 2019 “Boxing it Up to Give Thanks.”

 

A portion of dinner proceeds will be donated to the cause 4 p.m. to closing, Monday, Nov. 4 at TGI Fridays in White Oaks and 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 at Buffalo Wild Wings in Charles Pointe. (At 7 p.m., highlights from the 2018 “Boxing it Up to Give Thanks” journey will be displayed on the TV screens.

 

Donations can also be made at www.gofundme.com/boxingitup2019. (Changing the tip under gofundme from 15 percent to “other” and putting in $1 is all the fee that’s required to use the secure site.)

 

Boxing It Up welcomes you to follow the campaign on its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages as well as the GoFundMe website. Pictures and updates are provided on a regular basis. Visit www.gofundme.com/boxingitup 2019 to become a supporter as Boxing It Up makes this a Thanksgiving to remember.