Hollister
– Anybody and everybody will be able to eat a warm meal and
count their blessings Thursday, thanks to the efforts of numerous
volunteers and donors contributing to several events this
Thanksgiving.
Hollister – Anybody and everybody will be able to eat a warm meal and count their blessings Thursday, thanks to the efforts of numerous volunteers and donors contributing to several events this Thanksgiving.
The Holte Memorial Thanksgiving dinner will go on as planned this year, thanks to countless locals who stepped up to donate food, money and time when news got out that organizers had yet to receive even one turkey with Thanksgiving only a week away.
“You wouldn’t believe how much support we’ve received over the past few days,” said Pat Richardson, one of the event’s organizers. “It’s just like a fairy tale.”
Volunteers are anticipating that about 150 people will attend Thursday’s dinner, which will be held at Sacred Heart’s school gym beginning at 11am. A second meal will be served at noon.
Organizers stress that the meal is not only for the needy, but for anybody who wants to share a feast with their community. Volunteers also deliver turkey dinners to the sick and housebound.
“We’re here for everyone,” Richardson said. “Not just the needy, but anyone who’s alone and needs to be with people on Thanksgiving. It’s open to everybody and that’s how Marley wanted it.”
The dinners were started 20 years ago when Holte and his wife decided to put on a holiday meal for the needy instead of exchanging gifts. Holte passed away in September, but friends have vowed to continue on the tradition in his stead.
Community support over the past week has been so strong, Richardson said, that volunteers have begun to put aside food and money for the Christmas dinner next month.
“I’m having to tell people to call me back in December when we’ll need them again,” she said.
Mission San Juan Bautista is sponsoring a Thanksgiving feast has been a San Juan tradition for 17 years. Last year, 20 turkeys were roasted to feed more than 200 people. The meal will be held Thursday at the Casa Maria hall on the mission grounds, starting at noon and continuing until 3pm.
Though staff and volunteers will be taking the holiday off, the Community Pantry has been working tirelessly to ensure that everybody will be able to have a happy Thanksgiving.
“We’ve been handing out food yesterday, today and tomorrow,” said Executive Director Mary Anne Hughes Tuesday. Usually food is distributed once or twice a week. “We’ll be giving out turkeys along with our regular bags, and when we run out of them we have chickens.”
Hughes said that the Community Pantry purchased 500 turkeys and received another 150 through donations.
“We typically give the chickens to the senior citizens, a whole turkey is just too much for one person – they’d be eating turkey well after Christmas,” she said. “But we wind up feeding 1,000 or 1,200 people around Thanksgiving instead of our usual 900 or 950, because people know they’ll be getting a turkey.”
Hughes said the Pantry is already looking toward Christmas when it will begin another mass distribution of turkeys, chicken and hams.
“If anybody wants to donate food, that is probably where we will need it,” she said.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
