BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – For more than 20 years, the Jimmie Hale Mission has partnered with United Way to deliver meals to families across Jefferson County on Thanksgiving.
Each meal starts in the kitchen at 4 a.m., where crews are busy cooking the meals to deliver.
Like a well-oiled machine, step-by-step boxes are stuffed by volunteers for those who may not be able to themselves.
Ashley Heath and her family decided to volunteer with Jimmie Hale this year.
“If children don’t grow up serving, then when they’re adults they’re not going to have that habit, and they’re not going to know that joy that it is to give back,” Heath said.
So, they packed up and delivered meals this holiday. Sarah Heath said she enjoys when they get to work together as a family.
“So many of us can do a lot – a lot of hands make a lot of help,” she said.
CBS 42 followed them house to house. Ashley wanted to take these visits beyond delivering this meal and do more since they may be the only faces the recipients see.
“I feel like, more than people needing help, they just need other people,” Ashley said. “We just need to all be there for each other. People need friends and it’ll bless me as much as it’s going to bless them.”
The Heath family went out of their way to be able to form a bond and keep in contact with some of these families they visited in case they need visitors in the future. Jimmie Hale was able to provide meals to more than 300 people across Jefferson County on Thursday.