Jackson Free Press logo

This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is continuing an annual family tradition by helping to pack bags of food and distribute them to the needy on Thanksgiving eve.

Obama, his wife, Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha and his mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, dropped in on the Capital Area Food Bank, one of the largest serving the Washington area.

They dropped bundles of sweet potatoes, onions, carrots and apples into reusable bags people held open as they walked by. They also handed out small white boxes stamped with the presidential seal that contain M&M’s candy.

Obama wished people a “Happy Thanksgiving,” and Malia shook their hands.

It’s the third straight Thanksgiving that Obama and his family have helped out at this particular food bank.

Obama was spending the holiday at the White House.

Since 1846, The Associated Press has been breaking news and covering the world's biggest stories, always committed to the highest standards of accurate, unbiased journalism. The Associated Press was founded as an independent news cooperative, whose members are U.S. newspapers and broadcasters, steadfast in our mission to inform the world.