ORLANDO, Fla. — A line of people wrapped around Valencia College Saturday morning to pick up a Thanksgiving meal kit from Heart of Florida United Way.

What You Need To Know

Heart of Florida United Way held its largest Thanksgiving Project yet, distributing 6,000 meal kits

Families across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties say rising costs make holiday meals harder to afford

Volunteers helped pack kits filled with shelf-stable items and a gift card for families to buy their own protein

Many recipients are still struggling after the federal shutdown, making this support especially crucial

“We haven’t had family over in quite a few months because we don’t have the extra,” said Rachel Taffee, who received a Thanksgiving kit. “I’ve been out of work since April, and so it’s been nice to be able to make sure we have enough food for our family to be able to come for Thanksgiving.”

Heart of Florida United Way says need is greater than ever this holiday season.

They passed out 6,000 meal kits for families across Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.

“Those 6,000 meal kits will feed 24,000 people Thanksgiving morning,” said Jeff Hayward, President and CEO of Heart of Florida United Way.

Hayward says many families impacted by the past federal shutdown are still struggling to catch up on rent, bills, and essential groceries — making a holiday meal feel out of reach this year.

“We all have hard times, and we are all going through things, and this is a way to bring people together,” said Alisa Toro, a volunteer.

Around 1,000 volunteers, including Toro, spent the week assembling the meal kits and handing them out to families on Saturday.

Each one filled with shelf-stable items like canned vegetables, mashed potatoes, spices and a gift card for families to choose their own protein.

For families like Rachel picking up these kits, the help is allowing them to enjoy the holiday with their loved ones.

“Don’t give up, something will always come through,” said Rachel

Anyone interested in donating or supporting can find more information on Heart of Florida United Way’s website.