It was pick-up day for families taking advantage of the Hy-Vee Feed a Family Program Friday at the Austin Hy-Vee.

Thanks to several local entities working together, 500 local families in need will have a free Christmas dinner.

Among the things people received in their baskets from the Feed A family program were a buns, a pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry orange relish, corn, butter and a turkey.

Hy-Vee general manager Todd Hepler announced Friday the grocery store exceeded its $10,000 goal, hitting $10,800 with funds still rolling in.

“What’s really neat is it’s run by our community, not the grocery store,” Hepler said. “It’s encouraging to know we live in a community where people really do care about each other.”

The Feed a Family program, through the Austin Salvation Army, provides a $40 meal, which includes a 12-15 pound Hy-Vee turkey, a pumpkin pie, rolls, canned vegetables, a pound of butter, Mrs. Jerry’s mashed potatoes and Mrs. Jerry’s cranberry relish. Mrs. Jerry’s donated its portion of the meal, and the Mower County Dairy Association donated the butter. Hepler said the program also wouldn’t be possible without KAUS radio, which puts it together.

One local group, Westminster Presbyterian Church, raised $1,140, topping the $900 donation from last year.

“Tomorrow we can wake up and know everyone who asked for help can have a great Christmas dinner,” Hepler said.