Two nights ago, four University students climbed into a car -- aptly named "Felicity" -- and brought Thanksgiving baskets to 15 needy West Philadelphia families. The students, all Alpha Kappa Alpha sisters, distributed baskets filled with turkey, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, rolls and about 20 cans of food yesterday evening as part of the sorority's second annual "Operation Turkey Day." College senior Leslie Collins, civic committee co-chairperson of AKA, said that the sorority "chose big families with kids who might otherwise feel left out or ostracized if they did not have a nice Thanksgiving." AKA collected $500 and 425 cans of food for the baskets by trick-or-treating on Halloween. "I like doing this better than just giving money," College senior and AKA president Simone Frier said. "I feel I'm helping real people." Collins said AKA will donate the rest of the money and cans to a soup kitchen sponsored by the University City Hospitality Coalition, and will use some of the money to buy supplies for a Thanksgiving luncheon for the mentally ill sponsored by St. Agnes church.
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