In just nine days, we celebrate Thanksgiving. For many of us, that means sitting down to a fabulous meal with our loved ones and giving thanks for all the good in our lives. Unfortunately, over 34 million people in the United States suffer from food insecurity. That includes nine million children. With the price of groceries and everything else on the rise, millions of people turn to food pantries to help fill in the gaps in their budgets. I know of at least two Tucson food drives that are trying to fill the bellies of those less fortunate at Thanksgiving.
Tucson Thanksgiving Food Drives & Volunteer Opportunities
Gospel Rescue Mission
Gospel Rescue Mission hosts its annual "Blessings to Go" Thanksgiving dinner from 11 am to 2 pm on Wednesday, November 23rd at their Palo Verde location. They need 200 turkeys as well as all the trimmings to serve 2000 of their sit-down and drive-through meals. They also need volunteers to help prepare and serve these meals. Please consider donating money to help purchase all the items they need. But if you cannot afford to donate money, how about donating your time instead? Get your friends, family, co-workers, and social club involved in volunteering, too. It all helps feed our neighbors. Plus, volunteering provides a wonderful opportunity to teach children compassion for our fellow humans.
Salvation Army Tucson
The second one of the Tucson Thanksgiving food drives you should know about is for our local Salvation Army. They serve their Thanksgiving meals from 11 am to 1 pm on Thursday, November 24th (Thanksgiving Day) at St. Demetrius (1145 E Fort Lowell). Like Gospel Rescue Mission, they provide meals both as a sit-down and a drive-through option. Last year, they gave out 750 meals. This year, they hope to serve even more. But they need your help to make this happen. You can help by either donating money (one-time or monthly commitment, your choice) or volunteering. They need help with food prep and serving as well as decorating, helping with parking, clean-up, and more. Sign up for a volunteer spot here.
Please help make this holiday season a little easier for those facing food insecurity. Volunteer your time or money to help local Tucson Thanksgiving food drives. Thank you.
Rebecca Schulte, Schulte Real Estate Group, Your Source for Tucson Real Estate
