Thousands of families in National Basketball Association cities throughout the country enjoyed the holidays a little bit more this year as The National Basketball Players Association, Catholic Charities USA and Feed the Children delivered meals to 30,000 families.

Catholic Charities in Atlanta helped distribute the food, which included 500 turkeys, for hundreds of families here.

Joe Krygiel, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, said the gifts were timely as people feel an economic squeeze.

“Especially this year with more people now in need of basic necessities, Catholic Charities in Atlanta is delighted to be able to provide these 500 turkeys donated by the NBA Players Association, Catholic Charities USA, and Feed the Children to our Atlanta community partner charities for Christmas and holiday distribution,” he said.

The gifts were distributed by the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Senior Connections in Chamblee, Krygiel said.

“We are very grateful to the NBA Players Association and the Atlanta Hawks players for making this extremely generous donation to our local community. And we in particular wish to thank our Catholic Charities USA National Office in Washington, D.C., for helping to organize this important outreach effort,” he said.

In all, Catholic Charities distributed 15,000 holiday-sized turkeys to families in NBA cities. In addition, the NBPA and Feed the Children hosted special events to distribute boxes of food and personal care items to an additional 10,000 families.

“NBA players recognize how the current economy is impacting our fans and families all across the country.” said NBPA president Derek Fisher. “We appreciate that the need this year is greater than ever before and believe that working with these great organizations will help us expand our holiday outreach.”

This year’s effort continues the six-year partnership that the NBPA has with the relief agencies.

“This holiday season will be brightened for thousands of adults and children across this country because of the generosity of the NBPA and NBA players. On behalf of all who will receive this benefit, Catholic Charities USA thanks the NBPA and NBA players for their work in the community,” said Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, the membership organization for over 1,700 local Catholic Charities agencies.