Hundreds of residents lined up outside Havana Town Hall before sunrise on Wednesday as Direct Auto Exchange distributed 400 bags of groceries, holiday meats, and surprise cash to Gadsden County families.
Cars stretched for miles as some families arrived as early as 4 a.m. for the Thanksgiving food distribution Families received groceries, a ham or turkey, a 12-pack of soda, and a chance at winning $50 in cash. Watch the video below to see how the community came together and what organizers say about the growing need this holiday season. Havana’s drive-thru giveaway provides holiday meals to hundreds of families
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Hundreds of bags of groceries are being given out here in Havana this morning ahead of the holiday season. Im Tatyana Purifoy, your Havana neighborhood reporter, and each bag of groceries contains ingredients to make a Thanksgiving dinner, and residents are also able to receive a ham or turkey and potentially win some money.
Lines stretched for miles through downtown Havana and cars kept rolling in for hours. Hundreds of families bundled up in the early morning chillhoping to take home a little help before Thanksgiving. Direct Auto Exchange handed out about four hundred bags of groceries to residents across Gadsden County.
Theodore Swain, a Havana neighbor, said, It is great for the community a lot of folks need this food here the way things are set up now a lot of folks are hungry see ill take it and give it to my grand daughter somebody like that they’re not fortunate like i am so ill give it to my granddaughter.
With every bag, families also got to choose between a turkey or a ham and volunteers dropped in a twelve-pack of soda before sending each car on its way. And for every fiftieth vehicleone lucky driver received fifty dollars in cash.
Tyrone Davis, the owner of Direct Auto Exchange, said, We’re in a rural area, Havana, we have Harveys here that is actually closing the only grocery store in Havana, and I just thought that maybe it would be a good idea to come and help. I’m from Gadsden County I do a lot in Gadsden County and Leon County, and I’m just trying to go where I feel that it is needed the most right now.
Food access is becoming a bigger challenge for people in Havana. Harveysthe towns only full-size grocery storeis shutting its doors to convert into a Piggly Wiggly leaving residents with even fewer places to shop in the meantime.
Direct Auto Exchange says they plan to keep hosting giveaways like this because days like today show just how many families are feeling the strain.
Families not only left with a car full of groceries, but they left with holiday spirit. In Havana, Tatyana Purifoy, ABC 27.
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