Volunteers boost ‘Done in a Day’ food drive in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

Sage Powell, 13, participates in the "Done in a Day" event on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at HELP of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Attendees of the "Done in a Day" event fill approximately 2,500 bags of donated food on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at HELP of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Jessica Wood, a volunteer from Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, hands out powdered mashed potatoes at the "Done in a Day" event on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at HELP of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. 1,000 families will receive a frozen turkey and non-perishable food items for Thanksgiving from HELP of Southern Nevada. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Junior League of Las Vegas members Lin Soriano, left, Melody Allen, center left, and Amy Mahfood, right, hand out bags to volunteers at the "Done in a Day" event on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at HELP of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. Volunteers fill approximately 2,500 bags of food for the families in need over the holidays. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Junior League of Las Vegas member Kristina Villardi, left, puts canned goods in Maria Dalisay’s bag at the "Done in a Day" event on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at HELP of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. Volunteers filled 2,591 bags at the event. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Abbi Jankowski, a member of Junior League of Las Vegas, fills up a bag with food at the "Done in a Day" event on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at HELP of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. About 200 members of Junior League of Las Vegas came out to volunteer. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

HELP of Southern Nevada teamed up with 130 volunteers from the Junior League of Las Vegas on Saturday to pack 2,591 bags of nonperishable food collected from Las Vegas Valley food drives to give 1,000 families Thanksgiving meals.

The event was called Done in a Day.

“People want to come help. It’s a very busy day because there’s so much to do and so many bags to fill,” said Joan Lima, community relations manager for HELP of Southern Nevada. “The work that they’re doing is very gratifying because they know that at the end of the day they are helping families make memories with a traditional Thanksgiving meal.”

The Thanksgiving meal program has been in place for more than 30 years, Lima said. Some 80 community partners, including 49 Clark County schools, helped support this year’s effort, she said.

For many low-income families and people on fixed incomes, coming up with extra money to buy that food can be a “tall order,” Lima said, but “everyone deserves to make memories over the holidays with their loved ones.”

The food will be delivered Monday to 1,000 prescreened recipients, Lima said.