Nacogdoches Texas —

Members of the Jacks Council on Family Relations, a student affiliate of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) at Stephen F. Austin State University, held a successful Thanksgiving food drive, collecting enough to feed 125 families. Although the affiliate is a relatively small group of students, they were able to enlist the help of fellow students, plus members and organizations in the community to adopt and shop for a family from a provided grocery list. Each family also gets a $25 gift card to purchase a turkey or perishable items. 

“The project started in 2011 when our students realized families in the community were neglected at Thanksgiving," said Jennifer Newquist, an advisor for the Jacks Council on Family Relations. "We started with nine families in 2011 and have grown to 125 this year.”

Families were selected by partner organizations Solid Foundation, GETCAP Head Start, East Texas Family Crisis Center, and Nacogdoches County Probation.

Over the years, student members have appreciated the opportunity to put their passion for families into action by making a difference in the lives of local families.