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Unique Minds Changing Lives holds food giveaway

Unique Minds Changing Lives Executive Director Kristy Gibbs watches over the distribution of meals and food boxes at the giveaway. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Dan Cook
November 26, 2025

A little bad weather didn’t hinder Unique Minds Changing Lives Inc. from having its fourth annual Thanksgiving community feeding Nov. 22, when more than 400 individuals were blessed with a hot meal and boxes of food to celebrate the holiday and defray the cost of feeding their families.

A steady stream of vehicles paraded down Stingey Lane in Belltown outside Lewes, where volunteers filled cars with hot Thanksgiving platters along with Thanksgiving food boxes, and a major food distribution that is given every fourth Saturday at Unique Minds Changing Lives.

Community members and Mountaire donated turkeys and food for this year’s giveaway. Churches in the area also donated food and personal hygiene products, and Unique Minds Changing Lives also partners with the Food Bank of Delaware.

“We have 41 volunteers today, and that’s the most we’ve ever had,” said Unique Minds Changing Lives founder and CEO Helena Gibbs. “It was so nice to see. We would like to thank everyone who has donated time and items to make this a great event for our community members. We greatly appreciate all of the assistance from the local stores, restaurants, bakeries, churches, agencies and dedicated individuals. 

“We also would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to those who deliver to our displaced population,” she said. “We have never seen a community come together with so much support. There was no specific race, age or ethnicity. We love what we do, and we are just people helping people.”

Mountaire’s creed is “to be good stewards of all the assets God has entrusted to us.”

To donate or volunteer, go to uniquemindscl.com or call 302-550-7266.

Unique Minds Changing Lives is a nonprofit organization designed to change the lives of low-income families and individuals in Sussex County.

 

Unique Minds volunteer Victor Knowles loads a food box as Westminster Presbyterian Church volunteer Jim Miller awaits his turn.
Servers load up the dinner trays to be handed out at the giveaway.
Westminster Presbyterian Church volunteer Jim Miller, left, and Unique Minds Changing Lives Food Program Coordinator Andree Mosley pose at the entrance.
A happy sign awaits all who enter the Unique Minds Changing Lives building.
Donations and food packages are lined up and ready to be given out at the event.
Deb Norton of Westminster Presbyterian Church fills the packages for the giveaway.
Founder and CEO Helena Gibbs helps oversee loading of the packages.
Mountaire donated turkeys and food to the event.
Clearance Burton loads up a box of donated food to a recipient.
Volunteers prepare the food bags.
Debbie Trammell, member of Unique Minds Changing Lives’ board of directors, fills the food plates.
Deb Norton, left, and Kathy McIndoe of Westminster Presbyterian Church fill packages to be distributed.
Meleny Gutierrez prepares the desserts.
Preparing packets of gravy are Daphne Brown, member of Unique Minds Changing Lives’ board of directors, right, and Olinda Santizo.
Founder and CEO Helena Gibbs, left, gets a hug from volunteer Deb Norton of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Becky Jones shows a takeout plate of delicious food.
Sherrod Pearsall replenishes a tray of food.

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Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs. 

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