After its most successful Thanksgiving ever, local TV host Jake Sessions’ annual "Up All Night Holiday Meal Program" is seeking more donations to feed the needy at Christmas.

“Times are tough right now for many people,” Sessions said. “Our goal this Christmas is have at least 40 hams and 40 turkeys with plenty of canned vegetables and cranberry sauce.”

In its 18th year, the program featured 200 volunteers and fed more than 1,260 residents of Troup County, and Lafayette and Valley, Ala., on Thanksgiving afternoon at Cannon Street Elementary School’s cafeteria. Sixty-eight meals were picked up at the cafeteria while 1,200 were delivered.

“We’d just like to thank everyone involved with the Thanksgiving meal,” Sessions said. “It was by far our best meal yet.”

Sessions also expects similar success at Christmas.

“As long as most of our volunteers come back we will be fine as far as that goes,” Sessions said. “But with Christmas only eight days away, we are in desperate need of more donations. We mainly just need carry out plates, cranberry sauce, hams, turkeys and more vegetables. We always need more vegetables.”

In addition to food items, Sessions also accepts monetary donations of cash, checks or money orders. Checks can be made out to “Up All Night Charity.”

“With the economy the way it is and more and more people out of work, we need all the help we can get this Christmas,” Sessions said. “We have several families who used to volunteer to help the needy who now need help themselves. It’s gotten very tough for many people who have lost their jobs within the last year.”

Anyone wanting to donate or volunteer was asked to call (706) 884-6963, (706) 845-8833 or (706) 881-4226.

Donations can be made at Lakes-Dunson-Robertson Funeral Home at 201 Hamilton Road, Parmer Brothers Grocery at 1698 Vernon Road, Roots & Branches Beauty Salon at 801 Hamilton Road or TV 33 at 303 Fort Drive.

“If you want to help provide good people who are disabled or just down on their luck, then please contribute,” Sessions said. “We really appreciate everyone’s help and are always looking for more volunteers as well as the donations.”

Kenneth Thompson can be reached at kethompson@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 228.