Out & About in RI: Packing for Annual Pawtucket Thanksgiving Turkey Basket Giveaway

Pawtucket First Lady Laureen Grebien joined more than 125 volunteers—representing local companies, banks, civic groups, and even students from area schools—to assemble over 1,100 Thanksgiving “turkey baskets” for low-income Pawtucket residents who have pre-registered. The holiday boxes, each filled with a turkey, bread, and traditional Thanksgiving fixings, will be distributed on Monday, Nov. 24, ensuring families can celebrate Thanksgiving with dignity and a full table.

For 13 years, Grebien has overseen the City’s annual Turkey Basket initiative, a community-driven effort that continues to grow through widespread local support. This year, generous donations totaling $25,000 enabled the purchase of key food items. Local businesses donated products –  the Fall River–based Gold Medal Bakery donated 1,100 loaves of bread, and Little Bit of Everything supplied 1,100 boxes used for the baskets.

Multiple city departments—including Public Works, Finance, the Mayor’s Office, the Police Department, and the Leon Mathieu Senior Center—played hands-on roles in preparing and organizing the distribution effort.

Melody Majkut and her husband, Mark, owners of M & G Trucking and Transportation on Narragansett Park Drive, provided warehouse space to store food items, room for volunteers to assemble the baskets, and the use of a tractor-trailer to store completed boxes until distribution day. Their contribution, officials noted, was essential to ensuring the operation ran smoothly.

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Thank you to Herb Weiss, for the photos!

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