Non-profits host spaghetti drive just in time for Thanksgiving 

WARNER ROBINS — This Thanksgiving season, Aaliyah Cares and Daniella’s House of Hope are hosting a spaghetti food drive on Tuesday, Nov. 25, from noon to 3 p.m,. located at Faith Lutheran Church on 301 N. Pleasant Hill Rd. 

Coca Kleckley, CEO of Aaliyah Cares, said she has always wanted to do community outreach. 

“With the recent events of SNAP being up in the air and federal employees losing their income, everything happened so abruptly. I kind of just jumped into action and just wanted to feed my community,” she said. “People are working so hard these days, and I feel like they don’t have the time to cook a warm meal. I wanted to give away something that is ready to enjoy.” 

Daniella Edmund, CEO of Daniella’s House of Hope, said they wanted to do something different this Thanksgiving. With both Kleckley and Edmund loving spaghetti, the idea just clicked. 

“A nice baked, warm spaghetti will last a family pretty long if you come and get it,” Edmund said. 

This is the first event in collaboration with Aaliyah Cares and Daniella’s House of Hope, and this is the first food drive hosted by Aaliyah Cares. Edmund’s non-profit is no stranger to community outreach, as they do annual events. 

“Partnering with [Kleckley] and seeing her drive and what she wants to do, gave me back life. I just told her, ‘Tell me your vision, and I can make anything that comes to your mind a reality, ’” Edmund said. “We have stuff planned together up until 2027.” 

Kleckley thinks it is important to help those in need during this holiday season and said it’s most important to reach out in her community and do God’s work. She believes that with everything going on in the world right now, it is a time to look inward and be empathetic to the less fortunate. 

“He says that we give honor to Him by taking care of each other as ourselves and as Him, so we’re all one,” she said. “I wasn’t hungry, but I knew people were hungry and on the brink of going hungry and that affected me.” 

Edmund shared the same sentiment and said it takes a village to help out your community. 

“If somebody in your village is in need, we come together to make sure the mothers, fathers and the children have something to eat or clothes to wear,” she said. “We’re going to help them this holiday season and even when it’s not in season, and we’re going to be there for them because with the time and day that we’re in, we have to stick together.”  

So far, the food drive has had seven monetary donations totaling $345. Both expressed thanks to everyone who donated. 

For those interested in donating to the spaghetti drive, go to www.gofundme.com/f/give-hope-help-us-feed-and-clothe-families.