Lerner & Rowe supports Northwest Indiana with 750 free Thanksgiving meals, community resources

Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys invited Region families to the Dean and Barbara White Community Center ahead of the upcoming holiday for the law firm’s national Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway. 750 meal bags featuring everything needed to create a classic Thanksgiving meal were available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event also provided an opportunity for community members to connect with important resources in their community.

The giveaway, organized by the law firm’s charitable foundation Lerner & Rowe Gives Back, helps combat food insecurity in the communities Lerner & Rowe serves while ensuring everyone can have the Thanksgiving they deserve. In addition to the Merrillville event, Lerner & Rowe hosted similar giveaways in New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.

“It’s good to give back during this time, mostly because with the government shutdown a lot of people are losing their jobs right now,” said Alexis Garcia, Community Relations Specialist at Northshore Health Centers . “It’s better to give back and let people know there’s support for them, so that they have something to look forward to beyond just the meals.”

This year, meal bags included mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, and green beans as well as a $25 gift card to Strack & Van Til grocery stores. In addition to the Lerner & Rowe employees volunteering their time at the event, Lerner & Rowe partnered with several nonprofit organizations, including St. Jude House, North Shore Health Centers, and Meals on Wheels to ensure that attendees left with more than just a meal.

“A majority of the nonprofits that we have here are actually our partners,” said Arianna Hensley, Lerner & Rowe Outreach Director for Indiana and Illinois. “It’s just really important to have them here because we understand that this giveaway is only a small solution to a bigger puzzle of issues that these people are facing. The nonprofits that are here have a lot of great resources for those who are attending that they can benefit from that will help them long term.”

The Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway is one of Lerner & Rowe’s two major annual giveaways, the other being a backpack giveaway ahead of the school year. The law firm is built on giving back to its clients and communities, and the giveaways are a natural extension of that belief.

“We do this in all our markets around the country,” said Glen Lerner, Owner of Lerner & Rowe. “Every year we feed between 6000-7000 families and hand out all these meal bags. I mean, just how wonderful it is to be able to not only feed the people at my own table this year, but another 7000 families? That’s when you know how blessed you’ve been.”

Lerner & Rowe’s relationship with its nonprofit partners stems from a shared commitment to Northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area. The law firm has maintained strong ties to these groups for years, creating a network of impact in the Region.

“I think there’s a symbiotic relationship between what we do and what our partners are trying to do,” said Lerner. “It allows us to bring people in, and it allows us the ability to point people in the right direction. There’s some wonderful partners here that really care about the people.”

At the end of the day, Lerner & Rowe is happy to ensure everyone in the Region has a happy holiday season. Whether it’s helping craft the perfect Thanksgiving dinner or connecting the community with vital resources, Lerner & Rowe is doing all it can to make a difference in the lives of Northwest Indiana.To learn more about Lerner & Rowe Gives Back, visit lernerandrowegivesback.org.