Safeway and Above It All Family Services team up with Ravens player to feed 200 Baltimore families

BALTIMORE — Safeway and Above It All Family Services partnered with Baltimore Ravens player Vega Ioane to distribute free Thanksgiving meals to 200 families in need.

Each meal included a bone-in turkey and traditional Thanksgiving side dishes.

"We have a whole Thanksgiving meal for a family between 4 to 6, so that's a fresh turkey, that's all the sides, the fixings, macaroni and cheese, vegetables, you name it, and in addition, they get a $25 gift card to come back and shop with us whenever they need," said Breahna Bair, Communications Manager for Safeway.

The families who received the free meals also have access to family, mental health, and career counseling through Above It All Family Services.

Tsanonda Edwards, Director of Community Outreach for Above It All, said mental health support is especially important during the holiday season.

"Mental health is year-round, but also the need for families to be able to spend time together, to be able to celebrate together and not have to worry about a meal. Big deal. Proud to be a part," Edwards said.

Edwards also noted that community need remains a persistent challenge.

"We're also dealing with some of the things that we've always dealt with — a small decrease in violence and things like that which we're happy about — but there's still poverty, there's still need out there, so anytime we have an opportunity to kind of fill in those gaps. Absolutely gonna do it," Edwards said.

For Ioane, the effort to help fill that gap is personal.

"It means a lot to me. I mean, for me, I'm fortunate enough to play a game like this, I'm playing football as a sport, as a living — things like that — but doing things like this means a lot to me because I get it. I come from a family like that, so it means a lot to me," Ioane said.

Families looking for food resources can visit 211md.org or call 211.

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