By Town Crier Report

Eva Scott / Special to the Town Crier Volunteers prepare Thanksgiving meals for the 2005 Build-a-Box effort. Organizers are planning to serve 400 this year.

Los Altos volunteers are gathering again this year to prepare complete Thanksgiving dinners for families in need, by way of the Build-a-Box program.

The program, headed by Eva Scott in memory of her husband Art, is in need of volunteers and donors to assemble the dinner boxes Nov. 20.

Last year, Scott took leadership of the project not knowing what to expect, and by Thanksgiving had delivered meals to 200 families. This year, she and other project organizers plan to provide meals for 400.

The hand-delivered meals go to low-income families who would otherwise go without Thanksgiving dinner. Local nonprofits Family Supportive Housing and Sunday Friends partner with Build-a-Box to identify families in need. The boxes include holiday staples such as a turkey, stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, vegetables, potatoes and a pumpkin pie. A donation of $30 will buy an entire meal. The Albertson’s store on Grant Road is providing a discount on the food for the program as well as storage.

To participate or donate to the Build-a-Box program, call (408) 399-1426 or e-mail eva.scott@cbnorcal.com.