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NILES — Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 601 Ferry St., Niles, is gearing up for its annual Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway set for Saturday, Nov. 18, and there’s still time to register.

Church volunteers have been hard at work this week preparing dozens of baskets for families throughout Southwest Michigan, including Niles, Benton Harbor, Mishawaka, Dowagiac and more. The baskets include traditional Thanksgiving food items families prepare at home including turkey, green beans, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin filling, corn, cake mix and frosting. Families can sign-up here and pick up their basket tomorrow during an arranged time from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

This is the third year Mount Calvary is hosting a food basket giveaway for the community.

“We try to do something every year for the holidays,” said Calvary Baptist’s Danielle Lucas, who was one of the volunteers preparing baskets Friday. In previous years we’ve done what we call the ‘Christmas Store’ where we would adopt families and you know give food and gifts to families. This year, we decided to do food because food cost is so high for families right now. We’re trying to make the holidays a little better for some people.”

Lucas said that several church members and community members donated food items to make the giveaway possible, with donations being made as far away as Arizona.

“Our church services are online, so a lot of people watch us online,” she said. “(Pastor Bryant Bacon) announces it and we get donations from everybody.”

For Lucas and her fellow church members, spreading joy during the holidays and throughout the year is important.

“Family everything and we just know the holidays are tough for some people so our mission is just to make it better, spread the word you know and shed some light on the holidays for some people. It’s part of the loving and giving back that we try to have here at Mount Calvary.”

Mount Calvary is still accepting donations until 3 p.m. Friday for items including cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, au gratin potatoes, gravy mix and cornbread mix. Donations can be dropped off at Mount Calvary Baptist Church.