Homeless get Thanksgiving meal By BROOKE RUTH, Digital Media News Editor
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 11:22 PM PST
PAUL NILSON PHOTO
Michael Camacho checks on the turkeys in the giant dragon oven behind The Salvation Army in El Centro on Wednesday as volunteers prepared 60 turkeys to feed the Valley’s less fortunate today.
BROOKE RUTH PHOTO
Mercedes Salgado, assistant to the head cook at Neighborhood House, shows off one of the 40 turkeys the organization will serve today.
Before today’s Thanksgiving Day meal at the Salvation Army, the homeless were given the opportunity to clean up Wednesday.
Ray Anchondo was the one assigned to drive around El Centro looking for homeless people to take to the Salvation Army Thrift Store to get “new” clothes.
Anchondo, who volunteers for the Salvation Army, understands those he helps throughout the year because he was once in the same situation.
“The homeless trust me because I was homeless for so long right there with them. I was one of the lucky ones that decided to do something with my life,” he said.
Anchondo was homeless for six years, and one day decided he was going to change his situation.
“One day I just woke up and said I was tired of it — I had enough,” he said.
On his first round Wednesday he was only able to entice one individual to go to the thrift store — Sherrie Abbott, who has been homeless for two months. But, helping one person is satisfaction enough, Anchondo said.
“If we get one person saved and off the street, we have done our job,” he said.
Today he will be playing in the Salvation Army’s worship band providing entertainment to those at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner.
The dinner will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Park Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets.
At the dinner they will be serving 600 to 1,000 individuals. The homeless, some of whom Anchondo picked up Wednesday, will only be a small portion of those that will be fed at the meal, said Todd Young, the overseer of the thrift shop in El Centro.
“Most (of those served) will be families who have homes but not enough money for Thanksgiving,” Young said.
In addition to providing the homeless with an outfit and a place to clean up, the Salvation Army has also been cooking since Monday in preparation for the event.
They began smoking their 60 to 70 donated turkeys in a smoker resembling a purple dinosaur Monday to get them all cooked in time for the event.
Salvation Army Capt. Jerry Esqueda said even though these are tough economic time’s individuals are still giving and he suspects many have not given before.
“The Salvation Army opens up the opportunity to give,” Esqueda said.
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE TO SERVE MEALS, TOO
CALEXICO — Neighborhood House will be serving a Thanksgiving Day meal to 600 to 700 people here today.
The agency will be serving the homeless, those that do not have the financial resources to prepare the holiday meal, and those that do not have anyone to eat with on the holiday.
“We want them to have a great experience,” Neighborhood House program coordinator Cynthia Alba said.
Neighborhood House began cooking its 40 turkeys Monday, and will make the side dishes this morning.
The dinner outgrew Neighborhood House in 1994, and since has been held at the Community Center. The Community Center is at 700 Dool Ave. in Calexico.
The organization has been holding this yearly event since 1987.
>> Brooke Ruth, Digital Media News Editor, can be reached at 335-4665 or bruth@ivpressonline.com
" You know this is good but these people are homeless all year long not just on Thanksgiving. Why is it that people only feel like giving on this day? "
rayodeseeleynoa wrote on Nov 27, 2008 5:25 AM:
" GOD BLESS AMERICA !!! "
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ledman wrote on Nov 27, 2008 9:55 AM: