-- For the first time, public nominations are opening for the annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive run by The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A. The Jacksonville personal injury firm is inviting residents to identify families facing hardship so staff can deliver holiday food before Thanksgiving. The firm plans to provide complete holiday meals to about 150 Northeast Florida families for Thanksgiving 2026.
Ron Sholes started the drive in 2005 after seeing how quickly an injury, a diagnosis, a lost job, a death or a house fire could unsettle a household. His work across family and criminal law and personal injury brought those financial pressures into view. The Thanksgiving Basket Drive began as a way to remove the expense of a holiday dinner and remind families that their community cared.
Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study, updated in July 2026, estimates that 14.4% of Americans, about one in seven, lived in food-insecure households in 2024. Food insecurity means uncertain or limited access to adequate food. The same study found that people in those households reported needing another $23.16 per person each week to meet their food needs.
“In my career I've sat across from families the day after everything changed: an accident, a diagnosis, a fire. What most people don't see is how fast the ordinary things start slipping, right down to putting dinner on the table. Thanksgiving is about family and gratitude. Nobody should sit that one out because life knocked them down,” said Ron Sholes, founder of The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A.
Each basket contains a full-size turkey and a ham, vegetables, rolls, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, pies and other Thanksgiving staples. A Publix gift card covers additional groceries or household necessities. For context, a traditional family Thanksgiving meal can cost $100-$150, making these baskets a helpful solution for families in the community.
Past recipients included a family whose child was undergoing chemotherapy for brain cancer. The treatment schedule allowed only one parent to work consistently. Another family had lost nearly everything when an electrical fire destroyed their home. The firm shared both accounts without identifying the families. Their circumstances differed; each received help with a Thanksgiving meal during a difficult season.
Since 2005, attorneys and staff have handled the work themselves: identifying families, organizing food, assembling baskets and hand-delivering them. Receptionists, attorneys, staff, and investigators have taken part. Historically, nominations came through clients, churches, synagogues, community groups, neighborhoods and friends. The Ron Sholes Thanksgiving Basket Drive now extends that invitation to the public, continuing the employees' tradition of giving back to the Jacksonville community.
“For twenty years our people found these families through clients, churches, and word of mouth. But your neighbors know who's hurting better than we ever could. If you know a family that could use one less worry this Thanksgiving, tell us about them. That's all it takes to start,” said Ron Sholes, founder of The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A.
Individuals or families in Jacksonville and surrounding Northeast Florida experiencing significant hardship may be nominated for holiday food assistance. To nominate a family in need, email [email protected] with the family's story and how to reach them.
Recipients are selected based on need. A nomination does not guarantee a basket. Baskets will be delivered before Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 2026.
For more information, visit https://youhurtwefight.com/
About The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A.
The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A. is a Northeast Florida personal injury law firm founded in 2003 by U.S. Navy Gulf War veteran Ron Sholes. Its first office opened in Starke. The firm has five offices: two in Jacksonville and one each in Orange Park, Starke and Palatka. Its attorneys represent people in car, trucking and commercial vehicle, motorcycle, pedestrian and bicycle accident matters, along with premises liability, catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims.
The firm's stated values are Strength, Compassion, Integrity, and its motto is “You Hurt? We Fight!” Its community work includes the annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive and presenting sponsorships of the City of Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade, the Jacksonville MLK Holiday Grand Parade and the Law Offices of Ron Sholes Sista Strut breast cancer awareness walk.
Contact Info:
Name: Nina Perkins, Operations Director
Email: Send Email
Organization: The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A.
Address: 4811 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: 904-805-1500
Website: https://youhurtwefight.com/
Release ID: 89206215
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