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Empty Stocking Fund volunteers give donated food to families over the holidays

The Empty Stocking Fund is an East Tennessee nonprofit that works to help families experiencing food insecurity.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — An East Tennessee nonprofit is working over the holiday season to make sure families have access to healthy food. The Empty Stocking Fun is a volunteer-run organization with the Knoxville News Sentinel, a local newspaper.

The nonprofit plans to distribute around 3,000 baskets of food to make sure families can have a full holiday meal, as well as staples to last them a week. Volunteers spent Thursday filling boxes with food to give away to families.

Recipients receive a 5 lbs. ham with cranberry sauce and stuffing mix as well as various staples. According to the nonprofit, boxes are filled with a total of 40 items.

"We all know that there's a lot of people who are struggling, especially around the holidays. It's an effort to make sure neighbors are helping neighbors," said Joel Christopher, the editor at Knoxville News Sentinel.

The Empty Stocking Fund started in 1912 when a group of people in Knoxville proposed a project to feed families in need during Christmas. More than a hundred years later, their idea has helped feed thousands of families across East Tennessee.

Volunteers spend a full week packing and preparing food for distribution day. The Saturday before Christmas, families who qualified for a basket can go to the Jacob Building in Chilhowee Park to get a box of food.

Most families eligible for a basket have low incomes, usually as a result of job layoffs, disability or chronic diseases, according to the nonprofit.

Anyone interested in donating to the Empty Stocking Fund can do so online.

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