Tucson Thanksgiving community dinners in need of volunteers, donations

No matter how you carve it — as a traditional Thanksgiving, Tofurkey Day or Friendsgiving — the holiday is all about the feast, along with the ensuing gathering and celebration.

Local community Thanksgiving dinners that serve homeless and low-income individuals and families are no exception.

“Many of the people we serve remember holidays when they were kids with their families, eating turkey with all the trimmings and enjoying the warm meals they had. Lots of the elderly don’t cook anymore. They are all happy to come to the dinner,” said Maria Carrasco, who is coordinating the Fourth Annual Free Community Thanksgiving Meal & Promotora (Health Advisor) Program. “It is a community that comes together to celebrate Thanksgiving and it is important for them to feel that we care and that we are there for them.”

The event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 19 at Armory Park Center, 221 S. Sixth Ave.

The dinner last year served about 3,500 meals; about 80 percent of those went to homeless individuals and families and a portion were delivered to the homebound. The event also offers attendees free clothing and haircuts, a resource fair, prizes and giveaways.

In spite of the fact the economy has strengthened over the past several years, the need in the community has not diminished and the public may not realize that, according to Carrasco.

“There are lots of needy people. Times are hard. Everything is so expensive now. It is not getting better; I think it is getting worse. People are really suffering out there,” she said.

The event lost a major sponsor this year, so donations of at least 100 turkeys and food are even more vital to its success than in past years. Volunteers are also welcome to assist with cooking Saturday, Nov. 17, and to help with serving, clean-up and meal delivery during the dinner.

“It is a nice time to volunteer. Lots of parents bring their kids and it is good for them to see. Many kids have never been hungry and take everything for granted so it is really important for them to see how some people struggle and to know that we need to stick together as a community to help,” Carrasco said.

Salvation Army

Noel Desilets can testify to that.

Desilets and his wife, Martha, and their children have been volunteering with the Salvation Army for almost 15 years. They began assisting at the Christmas dinner when their daughter, Emily, was 5 and their son, Dustin, was 10; several years later they began helping at the Thanksgiving dinner as well.

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“We realized that Christmas was becoming all about presents and thought that the kids should have a different perspective; we wanted to encourage their giving hearts. So we established a tradition to go and serve and try to assist other people who are less fortunate on the holidays before consuming or taking in ourselves,” said Desilets, a University of Arizona graduate and co-founder of Apex Real Estate Network.

Desilets believes the experiences with the Salvation Army helped his children develop a spirit of philanthropy. Emily and Dustin have assisted with toy and food drives and various endeavors with the Salvation Army and other nonprofits. Emily, a pre-business major at the University of Arizona, also established a merit-based scholarship, Reach For Your Apex, to help high school seniors accomplish their educational goals.

“She took charge and implemented it and I think that stemmed directly from her involvement with the Salvation Army because it really kind of instilled that idea of giving back to those who are less fortunate,” he said.

The Desilets family will be assisting at the Thanksgiving dinner. To fill at least 2,100 plates, donations of 1,700 turkeys — 200 for the Thanksgiving feast and 1,500 for families during Christmas — are needed.

“We still see a large need in our community. Whether families are working or not, they can still be struggling to put a meal on the table. The Community Thanksgiving Dinner is about helping those families that can’t provide for their families along with people who are lonely or alone on this holiday,” said Corey Leith, spokesman for the Salvation Army.

Gospel Rescue Mission

A Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings is also available at the Gospel Rescue Mission’s 30th Annual Thanksgiving Street Banquet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 21 at 338 W. 28th St.

“We are here to serve those in need and we are glad we are able to do that. This is a 30-year tradition: The fact that it has continued for three decades shows that the need is definitely there,” said Victor Hightower, Gospel Rescue Mission spokesman.

He said 2,400 pounds of de-boned turkey are needed to serve the expected 3,000 guests.

The event will mark the mission’s final street banquet at this location; next year it will be staged at the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity, scheduled to open in 2019 at the former Holiday Inn at 4550 S. Palo Verde Road.

The center, which is being designed as a “one-stop shop” for homeless and low-income individuals and families, will house the Gospel Rescue Mission’s New Men’s Center and shelter. It will also feature low-income housing, dental and health-care services, behavioral health services, workforce development and other collaborative efforts of various agencies.