With Thanksgiving approaching, many families are looking forward to gathering around the dinner table to celebrate the holiday. However, for some families, putting a traditional Thanksgiving meal on the table may be a challenge.
This year, Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties (JFS) will once again help local families enjoy a holiday meal through its annual Turkey Drive.
In 2025, JFS provided 725 complete Thanksgiving meals to families throughout the region. This year, JFS is seeking the community’s support to help ensure families in need can celebrate Thanksgiving with a nutritious and traditional holiday dinner.
There are three convenient ways you can support this program:
— Donate a complete meal: For $45, donors can provide a family with a holiday meal. Due to refrigeration and freezer space constraints, JFS is unable to accept turkey donations. Families will be provided with a gift card to get a turkey.
— Fill a bag: Every meal provided is complete with a bag full of sides including mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, macaroni & cheese, string beans, corn, gravy and cranberry sauce. JFS is accepting donations of these items.
— Donate a gift card: A $25 gift card to a grocery store or a monetary donation allows a family to purchase a turkey.
JFS serves as a community resource, providing thousands of people each year with food and other basic essentials. From January through September 2026, more than 17,255 people turned to JFS for food assistance, with the agency distributing more than 472,400 pounds of food throughout the region.
“JFS is committed to hosting our annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive because we know that providing families with hearty and nutritious food allows them to enjoy a traditional holiday meal and spend quality time together,” said Andrea Steinberg, JFS chief executive officer. “We are grateful to the many community donors — businesses, schools, organizations and individuals — who make it possible for us to accommodate the requests we receive and help ensure that families can enjoy the holiday.”
Turkey Drive donations can be made online at jfsatlantic.org or by mailing a check payable to JFS, 607 N. Jerome Ave., Margate, NJ 08402.
In addition to contributions, volunteers are needed to sort, pack and deliver meals. Email volunteer@jfsatlantic.org for more information.