Salvation Army of Northeast Florida making sure families in need have food this Thanksgiving

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville-area families in need will have food on the table this holiday season.

On Tuesday, the Salvation Army of Northeast Florida gave away more than 500 Thanksgiving baskets to income-eligible families who applied for assistance in October.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

“It’s a blessing to have this program,” local mom Randesha Brown said.

Brown picked up a meal for her family of 6 on Tuesday. She said to be able to feed her children is such a blessing.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

“It’s something better than nothing,” Brown said.

Food for the distribution was donated through businesses, schools, and other organizations around Jacksonville.

The turkeys were donated by local “Miracle on the Hudson” survivor Casey Jones, marking the 14th annual turkey drive.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

A University of North Florida study said that Duval County has one of the state’s highest rates of food insecurity at around 20% of all adults.

Salvation Army of Northeast Florida area commander Major Keath Biggers said now the need for families is as great as in years past and they are grateful to have the ability to help.

“It just reminds us of when we are sitting down with our families that there’s another way to make sure everybody has an opportunity to have a good Thanksgiving,” Biggers said.

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.