Helping Hands Food Pantry in Knoxville is looking for holiday food donations.

Anyone in need can stop by the local food pantry and sign up for a basket for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Helping Hands strives to provide a turkey, a ham or a grocery store gift card with every basket, along with traditional holiday meal fixings. The sign-up deadline for a Christmas basket is November 29th. A wait list is being kept for people who missed the Thanksgiving deadline. These baskets aren’t possible without community support. Helping Hands Board member Pat Finan encourages people to donate turkeys, hams, and side items as well as regular staple items. Monetary donations also are welcome and go a long way with the pantry’s buying power. Finan also encourages people to donate to the pantry year round.

“We realize that our busiest time of year believe it or not is not November or December, it’s actually the summer months when kids are out of school. Even some people who are school employees may not be drawing a paycheck and so those are tighter times. We encourage people to definitely give at the holidays, but also consider giving year round.”

Thanksgiving baskets will be distributed at Helping Hands in Knoxville on November 22nd and Christmas baskets will be distributed on December 20th. If you would like to make a donation or sign up for a basket, Helping Hands is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at 110 W Main St. in Knoxville.