Media Advisory: Thanksgiving Preparations

MetroWest Food Pantry Open Table Preps 900 Frozen Meals for Thanksgiving

Media outlets invited to photograph and video holiday meal preparation in Maynard kitchen

Concord and Maynard, MA (November 11, 2024) – Open Table, the MetroWest charity dedicated to fighting hunger and building healthy communities, will be assembling 900 precooked Thanksgiving meals for distribution from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Monday, November 18, 2024, in its Maynard kitchen. They will be precooking 740 meat (roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, autumn squash) and 160 vegan (lentil walnut stew, acorn squash, vegan stuffing, vegan mashed potatoes) dinners, which are then frozen and distributed to clients the week of November 18 leading up to Thanksgiving.

DATE: Monday, November 18,  2024
TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
WHO:  Chef Jed Hackney and Open Table volunteers
LOCATION: Open Table, 33 Main Street, Maynard, MA

Still and video photographers can capture Chef Jed Hackney and his team of volunteer cooks as they assemble turkey, squash, vegetables, and pie into frozen meals.

During the week of November 18, Open Table also will distribute as many as 390 frozen whole turkeys to those pantry members who have opted to cook their own Thanksgiving dinners. The Thanksgiving dinner kit includes a frozen whole turkey, a TableTalk pie, a bag of shelf stable foods and a bag of produce.

“Open Table is anticipating greater demand this year for its Thanksgiving offerings and has increased both its make-your-own and pre-made frozen dinners by as much as 20 percent over last year,” said Alex DePalo, executive director, Open Table. “We’ll be expanding both our drive-through pantry and mobile operations to accommodate as many people as possible this Thanksgiving.” 

Each week, Open Table distributes bags of groceries, which include fresh produce, proteins, dairy, baked goods, and shelf-stable products, to over 300 households and provides over 1500  prepared meals to clients that hail from the Metro West suburbs. The organization offers food through its on-site drive-through model as well as a number of delivery programs. Open Table receives incredible support from the communities it serves through donations of food and funds, making it possible to continue to address food insecurity in the MetroWest area.

About Open Table

Open Table is a 501(c)(3) established in 1989. The organization works to address hunger in the local community by providing healthy food in a welcoming environment while respecting the dignity and diversity of those served. For more information, visit: https://www.opentable.org/

Media Contact

Joan Geoghegan
978-371-3921
[email protected]