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Thanksgiving is just seven weeks away and now is the time to help your fellow man if you are in position to do so.

Community Care Prayer Outreach — a non-profit Christ-centered organization that helps the less fortunate with food, clothing, and other needs — has an ongoing food drive to assist with its Thanksgiving baskets, which will given out starting Nov. 2, according to information from the organization.

The Thanksgiving list includes: cornbread mix, yams, carrots, cranberry sauce, green beans, corn, cake mix, cake icing, stuffing, rice, macaroni and cheese, cream of mushroom, chicken broth, peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti, canned pumpkin, instant mashed potatoes, canned whole potatoes, canned spaghetti sauce, any soups, any dry beans, any box dinners, cereal, ramen noodles, canned fruits, canned meats, tuna, chili and chicken.

With the motto “Meeting the needs of people with the hand of Jesus,” Community Care Prayer Outreach is there to help when the need arises.

Libby Arnold, executive director of the organization, has spoke with The News many times through the years chronicling the feeling of knowing children will have memories of a good Thanksgiving from the donations. Some, she said, take these things for granted — you have a get-together, eat your turkey and the rest of your meal.

Some can’t afford that tradition.

Arnold has heard the appreciation from those who need the assistance, such a woman whose son had been incarcerated came to the building for a Thanksgiving basket. She was so grateful because her son was coming home and she could give him a meal.

This year has been rough on many folks; COVID-19 has led to lay-offs and some businesses have closed their doors. Children are at home more than before in some local cities while students attend school virtually.

Unemployment rates remain high and for many receiving unemployment checks, that money goes to pay mounting bills and keep a roof over their heads.

And while Hurricane Laura did not strike Southeast Texas, it did cause an evacuation, causing struggling families to use whatever money they had at hand to leave for safety — lodging, food, gas and more.

People lost the food in their refrigerators and freezers with the power outages.

This was not reimbursed as the storm did not affect enough of Jefferson County to be grated federal financial help.

Now the area is once again in the “cone of uncertainty,” this time for Hurricane Delta. The storm is forecast to strike Southwest Louisiana — an area already decimated. And we may not get the brunt of the storm, but the winds could do some damage.

This year has been bad economically, financially and emotionally.

But there are some who have not been hit as hard, or at all, by the storm or job loss. They may be able to dig into their pocketbook and buy some canned goods or other needed items to help make Thanksgiving a good day for a needy family.

Community Care Prayer Outreach is located at 808 Nederland Avenue, Suite B, in Nederland. They can be reached at 409-724-0163.

Mary Meaux is a news reporter at The Port Arthur News. She can be reached at mary.meaux@panews.com