Santa has elves and reindeer to make sure goodies are provided, but what about Thanksgiving?

The folks at Boothbay Region Food Pantry have it covered. Thanks to the hard work of about a dozen volunteers, 115 boxes with everything needed for Thanksgiving dinner were ready for area families to pick up by 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17.

The empty cardboard boxes were assembled the day before and lined up on tables. At around 8 a.m., the volunteers made their way through the residue of the area’s first winter storm and started filling each carton with dinner for four: potatoes, onions, clementines, carrots, squash, cranberry sauce, stuffing, peas, rolls, brownie mix and a voucher for either a turkey or chicken. The pantry bought all the items for the Thanksgiving boxes.

Area families signed up for the boxes as early as a month ahead. Volunteers came from around the peninsula and one family, the Longobardis, came from Westport Island to help fill boxes. Food pantry helpers loaded food onto trucks at Hannaford at 7:30 a.m. Saturday for the short trip to the pantry at the Congregational Church in Boothbay Harbor.

“We’ve always been able to make sure that everyone who needs it gets a box,” said pantry co-president Fleet Davies. Co-president Tom Wilson added, “If you think you need a box, we’ll give you one.”

The pantry started in 1985. In addition to Thanksgiving dinner boxes, the pantry also provides a Christmas dinner box with ham instead of turkey.

To contribute to or volunteer with the pantry, call 350-2962 or email brfoodp1@gmail.com