Volunteer Bruce Master packs a Thanksgiving bag at First United Methodist Church recently. The church gives out about 200 of these bags and baskets each Thanksgiving.

For the past decade, the First United Methodist Church’s Thanksgiving basket program has helped needy families in Butler have a happy Thanksgiving.

“It is a very rewarding thing,” said Mindy Hildebrandt, the team leader for the project.

The bags or baskets are filled with stuffing, yams, potatoes, cranberry sauce and other Thanksgiving staples. Additionally, the packages contain a $10 gift certificate for Friedman’s — intended to help buy a turkey — from the Rotary Club of Butler’s turkey roundup.

Lisa Gill, director of serving at the church, said the packages are intended for people who are disadvantaged and may not be able to afford a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

There are no qualifications to get one of the packages, but Gill said people who are interested should call the church to get put on a list. She said the church puts an item in the Butler County Housing Authority’s flyer every year letting residents know they can sign up.

Gill said the church also gives out a few baskets to people who do a lot for the church.

This year, the church gave out 190 baskets. The number usually totals around 200, said Gill, who has been doing this for three years.

At the end of October, the church puts up a sign in the building letting members know that volunteers are collecting food. The sign asks for congregants to bring in a complete package, or if they cannot do that, specific items.

“We get a lot of donations every year from our congregation,” Gill said.

One week before Thanksgiving, volunteers gather to put the bags and baskets together. This year, it took 20 to 25 volunteers 60 to 90 minutes to do this.

In past years, Gill said the process could take the better part of a day.

The Friday before Thanksgiving, the packages are handed out.

Each person is assigned a number, and when they arrive at the church, volunteers give them a bag or basket with that number. The hours that people can pick the food up are from 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

If someone does not call ahead but shows up, Hildebrandt said volunteers may have enough extra items to be able to give them something.

Only two hours into the giveaway on Friday, volunteers already had given away 120 baskets and bags.

She said volunteers get a lot of positive comments from people who get the food, and she said it feels good to help them.

“Some of these folks may not have anything for Thanksgiving,” said Hildebrandt.