For families who struggle to put food on the table, the holiday season can be a difficult time, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leaders in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on Monday officially kicked off the program all about providing holiday meals for those in need. The Bill Milligan Annual Food Basket Program is now in its 36th year and, this year, supported by agencies across the county, will feed 2,500 families.
Speaking outside the fire station in Springdale on Monday, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks acknowledged the need for the program this year more than ever and saluted Milligan, who was known as the driving force for the food basket program and for whom the program is now named.
Milligan served as the executive director of the program from 2003 until his death in 2019.
“Let’s remember to take a moment to remember Bill Milligan. Under normal circumstances, this season is a difficult season for so many in our community, and COVID-19 has only made it that more challenging,” Alsobrooks said.
Gevonia Whittington, the director of the county’s Homeland Security office, also spoke, acknowledging the need for the program and Milligan’s dedication in overseeing it.
“It was his mission to serve seniors and others in need during the holiday season,” Whittington said. “Bill was respected by so many in the public safety community and beyond.”
Families will receive everything they’ll need for a holiday meal.
The efforts of the program to support community members is one Alsobrooks said should serve as a reminder that good deeds in the community are a team effort that could outlast any one lifetime.
“The only thing that lasts is what we do for others,” Alsobrooks said.
