GREENSBORO, N.C. - Thanksgiving is finally here.
But, before you set the table to eat a traditional holiday meal, you might want to think about the less fortunate.
According to Feeding America, about 40 million people struggle with hunger in the U.S., including more than 12 million children.
Hunger is a serious problem, particularly in the state of North Carolina.
In fact, North Carolina is the 10th hungriest state in the nation.
According to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, almost 604,000 households don't have enough food to eat across the state.
Statistics also show almost 1 in 5 children in North Carolina face hunger on a regular basis.
Even though it's the holiday season, hunger is still rampant in thousands of households.
Community Tables is helping to put a stop to holiday hunger with its 32nd Annual Thanksgiving Day Feast.
It's a not-for-profit organization that provides a traditional Thanksgiving meal to people experiencing food insecurity and hunger in Greensboro.
Every Thanksgiving, more than 100 volunteers meet at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex to pack over 2,000 traditional holiday meals.
Volunteers also help deliver the food to the homeless, people experiencing food insecurity, and others alone during the holiday.
Mary Lacklen is an organizer and says the Community Tables Thanksgiving Feast started with the Guilford County Restaurant Association as a community project.
The restaurant association was dissolved years ago, but Lacklen says she , along with others, wanted to keep the project going for the holiday season.
The holiday feast includes turkey, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, and everything you need to complete a traditional thanksgiving feast.
The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro is always looking for volunteers to help throughout the year as well as donations.
To learn more about The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, click here.