FORT WORTH, Texas — A major employer in North Texas is changing an annual holiday tradition to help others during a tough year.
Normally, employees at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth enjoy several team building luncheons throughout the holiday season, catered by the company. This year though, the meals presented some problems — especially with the need to social distance and avoid large-group events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So in November, the employees learned their free lunches had been canceled, but there were few tears shed when they learned where the money for those meals would go instead.
“When the announcement came out, there was a resounding cheer in the workforce that we are going to make a difference in the community,” said Lockheed Martin employee Susan Wright.
The employee meals were turned into meals for those in need. The company chose to use the funds to buy thousands of meals that the company would donate to various charities in the DFW area every day.
Every day. Wright said they are delivering the meals to the organizations daily through the end of the year to help make sure no one in the community goes hungry this holiday season.
“We found six different nonprofits that could help, that we could provide over 30,000 meals to provide for those families and individuals who just wouldn’t have a meal,” said Wright.
On this day, Wright and some of her colleagues were at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Tarrant County where hundreds of bagged meals were going straight from their vans, into the club’s vans, and out to kids and families throughout Fort Worth.
“We’ve received 500 meals today which is really fantastic,” said Daphne Bar Stigliano from the Boys and Girls Club.
The meals are well needed in a year where need is high and help is falling a bit short.
The Boys and Girls Club, for example, has gone from their usual mission to helping their families meet basic needs since the COVID-19 pandemic began and many families suffered job loss or economic shortfalls. Stigliano said they’ve been delivering meals since March 22, but their supplies are far from endless.
That’s a challenge that most charities are facing this year, because not only are they trying to meet more need, but many of the people and businesses they normally count on to donate and help fund their efforts are, themselves, struggling in 2020.
So Stigliano says the meals, even if they won’t solve everything, are certainly easing a major burden and helping the organization and their families greatly.
“We know that a lot of our families are experiencing hardships that they didn’t expect to ever experience, so we’re really grateful,” she said.
Wright said she and her coworkers are glad to pack a lunch if it means they can help at all in this tough time.
“If we can offer a meal, we can make a difference in someone’s life,” said Wright.