Charlie Digristina and the staff from Charlie’s Pizza in the kitchen of the Rescue Mission in Utica on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 25, 2015.
Advertisement
McFadden, along with 24 others, helped prepare 160 pounds of stuffing, cooked 300 turkeys, 150 pounds of cranberry and 120 pounds of instant mashed potato were prepared and made for this special day.
“The Rescue Mission always invites me to welcome people and I really enjoy doing that”, Patino said. “He said he never thought he’d need a meal delivered”.
Thanksgiving is just days away so this weekend the Phoenix Rescue Mission and its volunteers delivered food boxes.
St. Mary’s expected to serve 750 people in house, and hand out another 750 carry-out meals. “And the volunteers make the event with their energy, and their enthusiasm and the guests are so thankful”.
Volunteer chef Kevin McCann said he shut down his food truck for a week to help the mission cook more than a hundred turkeys.
“Slots actually fill up fast for Thanksgiving”, said Kendall Slee, communications specialist with the Rescue Mission. “We want to help these people back on their feet”.
“It’s a long process…cutting up the turkeys, pulling the guts out, putting them on the grill”, said volunteer Daniel Thomas.
“I just love to see their happy faces”, Pritchett said.
She poked her head out her door as they shut her gate, thanking them again. Diaz said she wasn’t sure of the family’s plans for Thanksgiving Day, but the Rescue Mission meal might be the only one she has with all of the traditional elements. There are many other groups in the Tri-Cities who held food drives and contributed cash so the less fortunate could have a proper meal today.
Between 700 and 1,000 homeless people will be fed due to the donations from people like Galloway native, Rich Breitweiser, who collected and donated 20 turkeys, 15 hams, and toiletries.
Advertisement
“Some of the volunteers who helped served and prepared the meals said it’s a wonderful feeling to give back, including members of the Girl’s Basketball Team for Clinton High School”.
