MATTAWA — In just a couple of days, several families in Grant and Adams counties will be thankful for the volunteerism of Columbia Basin Health Association staff members.

CBHA volunteers have been gathering and boxing food as Thanksgiving gift baskets for families who need food assistance. They delivered 126 food baskets to families last year and were shooting for 150 families this year.

To help meet that goal CBHA volunteers set up Thankful Trees at CBHA clinics in Mattawa, Othello and Connell. They are similar to the popular Christmas giving trees.

Each tree has family tags that include information about the family size, according to Melva Zavala-Campos, CBHA support services manager, who has spearheaded the CBHA’s food drive for several years.

CBHA staff had the option of sponsoring a family by bringing in a completed food basket or donating money so that food items could be purchased to assemble baskets.

“The difference is real when you give a meal,” Zavala-Campos said.

Staff was encouraged to submit names for potential food basket recipients.

“We also asked for volunteers to help assemble the baskets,” Zavala-Campos said. “We get together and have a great time putting the baskets together and deliver them on Nov. 23 and 24 from 6-8 p.m.”

“It is a good feeling to know that we have helped others have a good meal when we sit down to our own Thanksgiving dinners on Nov. 26,” she added.