Photo gallery: Christmas baskets hit the spot

Christmas is nearly here. Though not as food-centric as Thanksgiving, Christmas is still largely considered a time for families to get together and eat.

To help some families out, Crossroads Urban Center handed out food — including turkeys and trimmings — to nearly 1,000 families at Rowland Hall Upper School in Salt Lake City on Monday. The distribution was on a first-come, first-served basis.

According to the organization, “Crossroads has been providing social services to individuals and families in need in Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas for over 58 years. Crossroads operates two emergency food pantries and a thrift store that distributes clothing and household essentials throughout the year.

“This year’s Christmas food distribution marks the 29th year of collaboration with Rowland Hall School. Funding and support for the Christmas food distribution comes from the staff, students, and families of Rowland Hall, the Utah Food Bank, the Eccles Broadcast Center at the University of Utah, the B.W. Bastian Foundation, Rocky Mountain Power, and dozens of other individuals and local religious congregations.”

Deseret News photojournalist Scott Winterton stopped by to photograph the scene of seasonal giving.