Five hundred local families received complete Thanksgiving meals this morning thanks to the generosity and coordination of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch community during the eighth annual Day of Giving event.

Held at McWhorter Elementary School, but hosted in collaboration with McKamy Elementary School, the event allowed families to drive through and receive a box filled with everything needed for a holiday celebration. Hundreds of volunteers arrived as early as 6 a.m. to unload, organize, and distribute the boxes.

The Day of Giving began in 2018, when a private donor and current McKamy counselor Kimberley Hall helped launch the effort, serving 200 families in its first year. Since then, the initiative has grown to meet rising community needs. Now supporting 500 families, the program reaches an increasing number of households from across the district.

Planning for the event begins in early August and includes regular coordination between organizers and Market Street in Frisco, the partnering grocery store. Several district departments also play key roles. These include Facility Services, which managed the loading and transportation of the heavy boxes, and the Communications Department, which assisted with the assembly of the boxes and promotion of the event.

“I am so incredibly grateful for all of our CFB partners and community members for continuing to stand for this cause and offering to help each year,” Hall expressed.

Each family received a box packed with a frozen turkey and meal boxes filled with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and pantry staples to help make Thanksgiving a little brighter. The boxes also included foil baking pans, generously donated by the Michael Finley Foundation.

“This event truly embodies the heart of the CFB community,” Hall said. “Knowing that we have made the holidays a little brighter and easier for 500 families—that is the greatest gift of all.”