HIGH POINT, N.C. — Williams Memorial C.M.E. Church in High Point hosted its annual Thanksgiving Box giveaway on November 22 for the 12th year.

What You Need To Know

Trinity Gripper helps out with the Thanksgiving Box giveaway event every year

Williams Memorial C.M.E. church fed 10,000 people

This is the 12th year the church has put this event on

Pastor Robert Williams said doing this helps members of the church share with the community and give back.

“To see the joy and expressions of love and appreciation on the faces of those we all help, it means a lot to us,” Williams said.  

Trinity Gripper, a sophomore biology student at N.C. A&T, has been involved with the giveaway for more than 10 years. She would come with her parents when she was younger and continued coming when she got older.

“When I first started to do it on my own, I was interacting more with the people when they came through the drive-thru and just saying ‘hey, good morning.' Just seeing their smiles was just really impactful for me,” Gripper said.

She comes on both days: day one where they pack the boxes up and day two when they hand them out. Being around her fellow church members is one of the reasons she does this every year.

“You see a lot of new faces and you talk to a lot of people that you don't usually get to talk to during a church service,” Gripper said. “You kind of joke around with people you don't normally joke with and have that community sense within the church as well.”

Gripper finds the assembly line fun and enjoys the comradery with everyone around her, including her younger sister.

When the day finally comes to hand out the boxes, she enjoys seeing the faces of those in the car and knowing she is making a difference for families for Thanksgiving.