PORTSMOUTH — Boys Town New England’s Buy a Bird campaign raised $7,500 this month to provide Thanksgiving meals for families across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

On Nov. 20, staff, volunteers and supporters gathered at Newport Restaurant Group in Warwick for a three-hour event to assemble Thanksgiving grocery bags. Volunteers filled 50 bags with fresh produce, canned goods and other holiday staples for families served through Boys Town New England’s In-Home Family Services and Care Coordination programs.

“This event is one of my favorite days of the year,” said Marcy Shyllon, interim executive director of Boys Town New England, located in Portsmouth. “It’s a powerful reminder of what community looks like. Thanks to our volunteers, donors and partners like Newport Restaurant Group, families who are struggling this season will still experience the warmth, comfort and connection that make Thanksgiving special.”

The Buy a Bird campaign ran Nov. 1-15 and encouraged community members to donate toward the purchase of turkeys and other meal essentials. Each grocery bag provides enough food to feed a family of four to six.

Boys Town New England staff and volunteers were to deliver the bags this week, just in time for Thanksgiving.