VISTE’s mission is to enable elderly persons to remain safely and independently in their own homes.
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VISTE’s mission is to enable elderly persons to remain safely and independently in their own homes.
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VISTE’s 29th Annual Thanksgiving Meal Delivery!
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VISTE’s 29th Annual Thanksgiving Meal Delivery!
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Wednesday, November 26, 2025
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Join us for VISTE’s 29th Annual Thanksgiving Meal Delivery and help brighten the holidays for seniors in need! This family-friendly event is a local tradition and helps kick off the holiday season. There are numerous ways to participate and to help!
On the day before Thanksgiving, volunteers prep and pack 2,000 Thanksgiving meals at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Hundreds of volunteer drivers pick up the meals in the afternoon (using convenient drive-through lanes) and deliver Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings, a live poinsettia, and other treats to VISTE clients age 70-106.
THANK YOU to everyone who helps make this event a success, including volunteers, community groups, local businesses, and other supporters – we couldn’t do it without YOU! Special thanks to our Title Sponsor Allen & Company, as well as additional sponsors Mosaic, Florida Blue Foundation, T. Mims Corp., Comcast, and an Anonymous donor.
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With YOUR help, two VISTE programs will provide much-needed food and other items for local seniors in need, as well as a cheerful visit by a volunteer.
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Thanksgiving Meals With All the Trimmings
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Volunteers will deliver Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings, plus a beautiful live poinsettia and other treats to local seniors. $15 covers the cost of one Thanksgiving meal.
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Holiday Personal
Care Boxes
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VISTE volunteers pack and deliver 400 boxes filled with personal care and household items for seniors in need. $25 covers the cost of one Holiday Personal Care Box.
Please consider covering the cost of one or more Thanksgiving meals and/or Holiday Personal Care Boxes. Donating is easy! Just click on the DONATE button below to send holiday love to a local senior in need. You can support Thanksgiving meals, Holiday Personal Care boxes, or both!
Great news! ALL GIFTS WILL BE MATCHED up to the goal amount of $5,000, thanks to T. Mims Corp. THANK YOU!!
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Thanksgiving Meals
With All the Trimmings
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Volunteers will deliver Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings, plus a beautiful live poinsettia and other treats to local seniors. $15 covers the cost of one Thanksgiving meal.
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Holiday Personal
Care Boxes
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VISTE volunteers pack and deliver 400 boxes filled with personal care and household items for seniors in need. $25 covers the cost of one Holiday Personal Care Box.
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Please consider covering the cost of one or more Thanksgiving meals and/or Holiday Personal Care Boxes. Donating is easy! Just click on the DONATE button below to send holiday love to a local senior in need. You can support Thanksgiving meals, Holiday Personal Care boxes, or both!
Great news! ALL GIFTS WILL BE MATCHED up to the goal amount of $5,000, thanks to T. Mims Corp and an Anonymous Donor. THANK YOU!!
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Thanksgiving Gratitude from a VISTE Client
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"The meals for Thanksgiving were much appreciated, and the poinsettia was an unexpected touch! The volunteer who drove was very nice, and the two little girls couldn't have been sweeter. Thank you!"
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What a pleasure it is to visit with longtime community volunteer Nan Lee! She's friendly, talkative, and has decades of wonderful Lakeland stories to share. She's also an inspiration - at age 81, Nan is still going strong. Originally from Ohio, Nan attended Allegheny College and taught 2nd through 6th grade students for 37 years. She loved teaching and working with the students. In 1968 Nan and her husband Jim moved to Florida so that he could take a job as a basketball coach, and in 1969 they relocated to Lakeland. Nan and her family have called Lakeland home ever since.
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What a pleasure it is to visit with longtime community volunteer Nan Lee! She's friendly, talkative, and has decades of wonderful Lakeland stories to share. She's also an inspiration - at age 81, Nan is still going strong. Originally from Ohio, Nan attended
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Allegheny College and taught 2nd through 6th grade students for 37 years. She loved teaching and working with the students. In 1968 Nan and her husband Jim moved to Florida so that he could take a job as a basketball coach, and in 1969 they relocated to Lakeland. Nan and her family have called Lakeland home ever since.
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Every Thanksgiving, something special happens when volunteers and our elderly neighbors connect through VISTE. A simple meal and a few kind words bring joy to a senior who might otherwise spend the day alone—and in return, the volunteer walks away with a deeper sense of gratitude and perspective. That exchange of compassion is what makes VISTE’s Annual Thanksgiving Meal Delivery so special. Fall is here, and the holidays . . .
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Viste Donor Relations Coordinator
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Meet Marijo Plott, VISTE’s Donor Relations Coordinator! Marijo began working at VISTE in 2024, and we are delighted to have her on the team! In addition to being a friendly resource for VISTE donors, Marijo also does gift posting, acknowlment letters, and reconciliation, as well as providing support for special events and outreach activities. Originally from East Texas, Marijo's family moved to the Tampa area . . .
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Volunteer Program Opportunities
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“Operation Cranberry” Donations – Now through 11/14. Drop off 14 oz. cans of jellied cranberry sauce at VISTE, M-F, 8 am-4 pm.
Green Bean Snap – Monday, Nov. 24, 9 a.m., First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland
Thanksgiving Meal Delivery – Wednesday, Nov. 26, RP Funding Center drive through. Volunteer with family, friends, and colleagues! Drivers must register by 11/17 to deliver meals. Spots are limited, so sign up early.
Christmas Gift Delivery Starting Monday, Dec. 15
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“Operation Cranberry” Donations – Now through 11/14. Drop off 14 oz. cans of jellied cranberry sauce at VISTE, M-F, 8 am-4 pm.
Green Bean Snap – Monday, Nov. 24, 9 a.m., First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland
Thanksgiving Meal Delivery – Wednesday, Nov. 26, RP Funding Center drive through. Volunteer with family, friends, and colleagues! Drivers must register by 11/17 to deliver meals. Spots are limited, so sign up early.
Christmas Gift Delivery Starting Monday, Dec. 15
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At this special time of year, we are grateful for what we’ve been given. Please remember others in our community who may be struggling and let them know you care. Thank you for providing caring and hope to local seniors in need!
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The need is great, but together we are greater than the need!
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With Gratitude to Our Sponsors
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Thanksgiving Meal Delivery &
Holiday Personal Care Boxes Sponsors
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VISTE.org | (863) 284-0828 | Stay Connected! Follow us on Facebook!
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Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt agency. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. State Registration #CH28. Federal ID #59-2625297
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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
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