The holidays come fast once Halloween is over, and for a lot of Lubbock families, a full Thanksgiving table takes some help. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s what neighbors are for.
Here are the dates to know this month for free holiday food help, plus ways to lend a hand if you’re able. Save this page and share it with someone who could use it.
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Christmas Box applications: Nov. 3 to 5 only
South Plains Food Bank’s Christmas Box applications open Tuesday, Nov. 3, and close Thursday, Nov. 5. That’s a short window, so don’t wait. You apply online through the food bank’s Need Food page.
- The application portal is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closes when the food bank is closed.
- Questions? Call the food bank at 806-763-3003.
- The food bank is at 5605 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The same page has the food bank’s regular food assistance form, its Senior Box sign-up and a map of distribution sites by ZIP code.
Heart for the Holidays: Saturday, Nov. 21
United Neighborhood Outreach is bringing back Heart for the Holidays, its community day on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at The Condra School for Dyslexia Success, 1421 9th St. This is the second year, and everything is free.
Last November, the group says, families from all over Lubbock filled the school’s parking lot. This year’s plans include:
- Hot meals: hamburgers from Aspen Creek Grill, while supplies last
- Food to take home from South Plains Food Bank’s mobile pantry
- Photos with Santa and a kids’ corner with crafts
- Coats for families from KSSL radio, and holiday songs from KSSL’s Cathy Jewell
- Make-your-own arrangements at the East Lubbock Art House table
- Free dyslexia screenings for kids
There’s no sign-up, but organizers say a quick heads-up helps them make enough food. You can let them know through the event page or by calling (432) 202-7477.
The same morning: Dream Center Turkey Day
The Lubbock Dream Center’s Turkey Day Giveaway is also Saturday, Nov. 21, starting at 7:30 a.m. Myra Briceno, the center’s outreach communications coordinator, told Hub City UnCovered that families for that giveaway are chosen by community partners and schools, so there’s no public sign-up.
Mark these closed dates
South Plains Food Bank will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day, and Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27, for Thanksgiving. If you pick up food or vouchers there, plan around those days.
Want to help?
Heart for the Holidays needs volunteers on Nov. 21 for setup, serving, greeting and the kids’ corner. No experience is needed. Organizers also want businesses, churches and groups to donate food, turkeys or grocery gift cards, host a collection box or send a team to serve. Call (432) 202-7477 or email info@unolbk.org.
The Dream Center also needs volunteers the day of its Turkey Day Giveaway, Briceno said. Every hand helps a neighbor have a warmer Thanksgiving.
Know about another free Thanksgiving meal or food giveaway in the Lubbock area? Send it to us and we’ll add it.
Sources
- South Plains Food Bank, Food Support / Need Food: https://www.spfb.org/need-food/
- United Neighborhood Outreach, Heart for the Holidays 2026: https://unolbk.org/heart-for-the-holidays
- Lubbock Dream Center, Myra Briceno, email to Hub City UnCovered (Oct. 29, 2026): https://lubbockdreamcenter.org/
- Featured photo: Krista K. Catian / NAVFAC Pacific, "Donated Items Loaded," via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Donated_Items_Loaded_(7847387724).jpg. License: CC BY 2.0
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