Sacred Heart volunteers prepare 4,000 Thanksgiving meal boxes

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Volunteers at Sacred Heart Community Service are giving out 4,000 boxes with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner. The food distribution started Monday and goes through Wednesday. 

"Everyone deserves a hot meal and community surrounding them. So our mission is a community united to ensure every child and adult is free from poverty. And events like this help alleviate those symptoms of poverty," said Elizabeth Matthews, senior director of community development at Sacred Heart. 

She said about 1,700 volunteers will work throughout the week of Thanksgiving to make sure families get the food they need. When you add in the Christmas volunteers, that's about 3,500 people who are stepping up to help their neighbors. 

"I tell ya' it is a working beehive putting this all together. Every piece and every component comes together to make something really special," said Matthews. 

While about 2,500 turkeys have been donated so far, she said there is still a need for more. 

On Monday morning, a line started forming at 6 a.m. for the boxes of food. Each person had to show their Sacred Heart membership card in order to get a box. 

"Oftentimes we can feel disconnected from our own communities, we all work and live here but at the same time there are people here who are really in need so we can’t be oblivious to that. We have to help them and do what we can," said college student Malyna Trujillo, who was volunteering with her brother, mom and grandmother. 

The Trujillo family has made it a tradition to volunteer together during the holidays. 

"It’s important to instill in my kids giving back, gratitude around Thanksgiving and making sure that they’re making a small difference in somebody’s life," said mother Monica Trujillo.

The distribution will continue at Sacred Heart on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon.