ACPS, Community Partners Provide Holiday Meal Support to More Than 260 Families
ACPS, Community Partners Provide Holiday Meal Support to More Than 260 Families
By Albemarle County Public Schools
Volunteers help direct traffic for the Lambs Lane Campus Mobile Market.
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. — The bill for a typical Thanksgiving dinner totals $55.18 in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving dinner survey. Although that’s a 5% decrease from the average cost last year (and the third straight year for Thanksgiving dinner cost decline), it remains higher than four years ago. With joblessness on the rise and a sinking consumer confidence, many Albemarle residents are experiencing real challenges purchasing Thanksgiving dinner this year.
To support our families, Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) and Communities in Schools (CIS) partnered with several local community organizations to provide supplies for the upcoming holiday through its “Mobile Markets” initiative. Three Mobile Markets were staged at each of our CIS-supported schools to serve more than 260 families from across the county.
At Woodbrook Elementary, families picked up packages of non-perishable items supplied by the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (BRAFB) and turkeys donated through the Albemarle Foundation for Education’s (AFE) Families Helping Families Fund and a Bama Works Fund grant from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. ACPS leadership, CIS leadership, and Woodbrook staff came together to distribute food to more than 70 families in the community.
Albemarle High School Principal Damean Barfield helps distribute Thanksgiving dinner ingredients at the Lambs Lane Campus Mobile Market before the holiday.
“It was truly a joy to be able to support our students and families in this way,” Atalaya Sergi, Executive Director of the AFE, said. “We are so grateful for our community partners, who were instrumental in the success of this food drive.”
Through donations from CIS, the BRAFB, MVMNT Church and Integrity Mentoring, a Mobile Market also took place on the Lambs Lane Campus, serving families from Albemarle High School, Journey Middle School and Greer Elementary School.
“Despite the rain and cold, we had a steady stream of people coming through to pick up food,” Lois Pearson, Program Manager for CIS, said. “It was wonderful to be able to meet students, families and other community members and make those connections.”
Of all the donated turkeys, Pearson said, none were left over after the event.
At Red Hill Elementary, donations from the Elk’s Club, Pippin Hilly Vineyard, Mt. Olivet Church and CIS provided families with ingredients for a complete Thanksgiving meal, including turkey and several side dishes.
“Thanks to our generous donors, we had more than enough to support our families,” Savannah Eckstein, CIS Coordinator for Red Hill, said.
With support from schools, volunteers and community partners across Albemarle County, this year’s Mobile Markets ensured that hundreds of families will have the ingredients they need for a holiday meal. ACPS officials say the continued collaboration among local organizations remains essential in meeting the needs of students and families.
“When local organizations, schools, and neighbors come together, we can ensure that every family feels supported, especially during the holiday season,” Daphne Keiser, Assistant Superintendent for School Community Engagement, said. “We are deeply grateful to all our community partners who helped make this year’s Mobile Markets a success, and we wish all of our students, staff, and families a warm and joyful Thanksgiving.”