JNL Family Crisis Center working to fill 500 boxes for Thanksgiving

The JNL Family Crisis Center in Pocatello is working to fill 500 boxes to give to families for Thanksgiving.

The goal is to fill all 500 boxes with traditional Thanksgiving foods. People can donate turkeys or even hams, potatoes, stuffing, green beans or corn, rolls and pies.

JNL has a bus it takes to various places to try and “fill the bus” with donations for the boxes.

The center still needs more items donated, especially turkeys. Armando Orozco, with JNL, said they especially need turkeys. They’re still about 400 turkeys shy.

JNL said while all the different groups gathering donations are great causes, JNL focuses on local families to fill the need in the local community.

JNL works with the Pocatello/Chubbuck school district to find those families that are in need. The school district uses its community resource workers and counselors to help determine who needs a little extra help for the holidays.

Kent Hobbs, director of student support services for the school district, said the resource workers and counselors know the kids and their families pretty well. He said because of that, there’s no specific criteria families have to meet, it’s a judgment call on who they feel is in need.

The school district said being able to provide food and put a meal on the table is key to a child’s education.

“Theories that have been promulgated by experts all over the country about how important it is that a child be adequately fed, clothed and housed or education is just not critical to them,” Hobbs said. “They just can’t concentrate and focus so we try to help as much as we can.”

The school district said it holds its own food drives and fundraisers throughout the year as well.

The president and CEO of JNL, Avery Kitchens, said he started the organization because he saw too many families going without for the holidays.

“Seeing the need, as a pastor, seeing the people that’s in that kind of need, it’s heartbreaking to see people that really need this help,” Kitchens said. “It really drove me to the point of saying, ‘Okay, how can we help?'”

Orozco said he started working with JNL because he saw through personal experience what a community can do for struggling families.

“Back a couple years ago, we had a daughter that was diagnosed with spina bifida and I was working a really good job at the time but it hit us hard and ended up having to leave that job and spend a lot of time in Salt Lake,” he said. “If it wasn’t for someone reaching out and helping me, I don’t think I’d be here today to reach out and help someone else.”

Kitchens said knowing you helped fill a family’s table for Thanksgiving can make your holiday even more enjoyable. He said seeing how happy the families are is the best part and he’s proud to make a difference.

“It’s been pretty amazing to see people when you show at their house,” Kitchens said. “I guess a lot of times people are a little bit skeptical of whether or not it’s going to happen and then you show up and say here you go ,we want to help you on with this or whatever and see their faces, it’s an awesome feeling.”

“It’s good to be a light and a beacon out there of hope, let them know that there’s people that do care,” Orozco said.”

On Saturday from 1-2:30 p.m. at Smith’s, JNL is holding a Zumbathon to help encourage people to come and fill the bus with more donations.

To find out more about JNL, or where you can donate, go to its Facebook page.