Summer has past and fall is in the air, and QQLA is ready to start accepting donations for the 2026 Thanksgiving Food Drive. Grocery store gift cards to Big Y, Hannaford, Stop and Shop, Shaw’s or Big Bunny work very well and are preferred by the food pantries and schools. Gift cards in the $20 - $50 range are great because, not everyone needs or has the means to cook a turkey and the gift cards allow each agency to easily distribute cards to those in need, without having to handle frozen turkeys.

This our 16th year of helping local agencies with gift cards or turkeys for those in need at Thanksgiving. Last year we partnered with some Brookfield friends along with the Willow Brook School in Brookfield. This collaboration allowed us to collect and distribute over $6,000 last year. It is anticipated that with food costs higher this year there will probably be an even larger need.

Grocery store gifts cards and or frozen turkeys of various sizes, as well as turkey pies and turkey breasts are also welcome. All donations are forwarded to local agencies to benefit those in need, distribution to local food banks. In the past we have supported the Brookfield Food Pantry, Brookfield Council on Ageing, Brookfield Elementary School, East Brookfield Food Pantry, East Brookfield Senior Center, Sturbridge Senior Center, West Brookfield Senior Center and the Burgess Elementary School in Sturbridge and St Vincent DePaul in Sturbridge.