There are still more than three weeks until Thanksgiving, but it’s not too early to start talking turkeys.
Several local nonprofits are in need of donations of time, talent and treasure in order to make feasts a reality for the hungry and homeless.
The Salvation Army will do its part to facilitate feasting for at least 400 people on Thanksgiving day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army Army Hospitality House, 1002 N. Main Ave.
“These are not only homeless people or families who are struggling,” said Kelli Beasley, PR & Community Engagement Manager for the Salvation Army Tucson. “We also welcome older people who may not have family in the area and have no one to share the holiday with. In the spirit of giving thanks, we can all come together and enjoy a meal with decorations that have been made by local schoolchildren: It is a feel-good day for everyone.”
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She credits generosity from individuals and businesses in the community with making the day possible. Among the supporters are the Vallee Gold Team of Long Realty, Jason Rose with NOVA Home Loans, and Fidelity National Title, all of whom are teaming up to sponsor a Turkey Drive from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, at NOVA Home Loans, 6893 N. Oracle Rd., #121.
The effort was spearheaded by Kathy Vallee and her husband, Don, who have worked in local real estate for 25 years.
The Gospel Rescue Mission’s Annual Thanksgiving “Blessings to Go” (pictured above last year) seeks to collect frozen turkeys and all the trimmings to provide more than 3,000 free turkey dinners from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity, 4550 S. Palo Verde Road. The event is one of several local celebrations that will provide free feasts for the hungry, homeless and lonely around Thanksgiving.
“We typically do pie giveaways for our clients, but we decided this year to do more for the community because of economics,” said Kathy, who hopes that the turkey drive will become an annual tradition. There are just more families in need, so we wanted to put our energies toward supporting the Salvation Army, and our clients are really embracing that.”
The team hopes to collect 250 frozen turkeys and raise $2,000; the Salvation Army will be on site with a refrigerated truck for the turkeys, and the event will feature giveaways and fun activities.
“It will be really easy for people to swing by and drop off turkeys, and if they would rather donate money they can scan a QR code. We are really excited about this and hope that it will become an annual tradition,” said Kathy.
Both monetary and in-kind donations are needed by Gospel Rescue Mission, which seeks to serve more than 3,000 meals at the Annual Thanksgiving “Blessings to Go” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27. The Dine In and Drive-Through event will take place at the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity, 4550 S. Palo Verde Road.
Now in its 36th year, the event is an important outreach effort for the community, according to Lisa Chastain, President/CEO of Gospel Rescue Mission.
“Over the past year one of the most alarming trends we’ve witnessed firsthand is that many who come to us are those who have never experienced homelessness,” she said. “They aren’t struggling with some of the things we normally see, like addiction. Instead, these are people who are living on the brink of poverty and something like the loss of a job or increased rent causes them to slip into homelessness.”
Chasten emphasized that in many ways, these people are the hardest to reach since they can get by for a time by staying with family or in motels. By the time they reach the Gospel Rescue Mission, they have often depleted their savings and are desperate.
“One thing we hope to do with Thanksgiving Blessings to Go is to identify those people, and help them before they end up on the streets,” she said.
