BP women offer the drive-thru difference for area families

The Thanksgiving holiday became just a little more festive for some area families thanks to the efforts of a Blooming Prairie organization.

The BP Women of Today distributed Thanksgiving meals through a special drive-thru held Sunday at the Servicemen’s Club in Blooming Prairie. More than 150 families rolled up in their vehicles to pick up a free turkey and all the fixings, according to Cindy Golbuff, one of the organizers.

Along with turkey, the meals included potatoes, gravy, cranberries and other items to “make a basic Thanksgiving meal,” Golbuff said. She noted the turkeys were donated by Hormel Foods and other food was given by Vandal’s Family Market.

The women had pre-arranged and stuffed grocery bags for people depending on how many were in their family. Golbuff said some of the bags contained enough groceries for up to eight people.

“We are always looking for ways at how we can enhance our community in different ways. We do this for the betterment of our community,” said Golbuff, noting this was the first time the group has done this specific activity. “We’re trying to fill a need knowing food shelves are being heavily used this time of year,” she added.

Golbuff admitted the idea came up on short notice only a few weeks ago. “There was a lot of fast talking, fast finalizing and we jumped together fast with our team,” she said. There are about 10 women involved in the local organization.

“We want to create that ripple with times being hard,” she said. “We hope we can spread a little cheer.”
Golbuff said the group performs other random acts of kindness throughout the year. Some of the projects include scholarships for seniors, holiday wish tree, cards for veterans and Easter egg hunt for children.

She added, “We appreciate the opportunity to serve people in need.”