LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Thanksgiving meals will be served to thousands of people in need today on Skid Row and in Compton, Canoga Park, Pasadena and Hollywood.
The Midnight Mission will serve Thanksgiving brunch to nearly 2,500 homeless and near-homeless men, women and children, according to Georgia Berkovich, its director of public affairs.
The mission will serve 7,000 pounds of herb-roasted turkey, 7,000 pounds of oven-baked ham, 1,500 pounds of mashed potatoes, 90 gallons of gravy, 1,500 pounds of steamed vegetables, 1,000 pounds of stuffing, 500 pounds of cranberry sauce, 300 pounds of dinner rolls and 300 pounds of dessert, Berkovich said.
Scheduled volunteer servers include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, entertainer Dick Van Dyke, actress Katey Sagal, actor Mr. T, World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
The nearby Fred Jordan Mission expects to serve Thanksgiving dinner to 2,000 people.
Dozens of volunteers will come together at Compton College to help assemble more than 10,000 Thanksgiving dinners that will be distributed from Compton to San Diego. Meals will also be served to the homeless on site.
As many as 2,000 people will be served a sit-down meal of turkey with all the trimmings at the 31st annual Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner for San Fernando Valley residents in need at the Guadalupe Community Center in Canoga Park.
Nearly 500 people in need will be fed at the seventh annual Pasadena Thanksgiving Share a Meal event at the Pasadena Sandwich Company.
Nearly 100 families in need have been identified by the Pasadena Unified School District's homeless and transitional program “Families in Transition” and invited to attend, according to Meghan Fink, whose late father Stephen E. Fink founded the Pasadena Sandwich Company.
“By coming together as a community, we're able to provide a safe and fun holiday environment for families to enjoy Thanksgiving together, year after year,” Fink said.
The Laugh Factory will host its 39th annual free Thanksgiving Feasts, welcoming those who might be lonely, homeless or simply in need of a warm meal, said club owner Jamie Masada, whose mantra is “spending the holidays alone is no laughing matter.”
In his Thanksgiving proclamation, President Donald Trump said, “This Thanksgiving, as we gather in places of worship and around tables surrounded by loved ones, in humble gratitude for the bountiful gifts we have received, let us keep in close memory our fellow Americans who have faced hardship and tragedy this year.
“In the spirit of generosity and compassion, let us joyfully reach out in word and deed, and share our time and resources throughout our communities. Let us also find ways to give to the less fortunate whether it be in the form of sharing a hearty meal, extending a helping hand or providing words of encouragement.”
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