Thanksgiving brings volunteer opportunities
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Thanksgiving is next week and those feeling the giving season will have plenty of ways to give back through local organizations.
The Rotary Club of Aggieland is preparing Thanksgiving meals and will need some help on Friday. They will be delivering baskets to families in need for the organization’s 25th year. Volunteers will help put together and deliver the baskets.
This year’s goal is to prepare 600 baskets full of food that includes Thanksgiving staples such as turkey, rolls, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Each basket will be able to serve 6 to 8 people.
“We’ve delivered to families that had a major loss in their family at that time, we’ve delivered it to people who just lost their job and it just brings you to tears when you’re helping someone,” Barbie Patterson, member of the Rotary Club of Aggieland. “It just blesses us as much as it blesses them to do that for them.”
Those looking to get involved can go to aggielandrotary.org or visit the organization’s Facebook page.
Epicures Catering and the United Way of the Brazos Valley will be holding its 40th Thanksgiving in the Brazos Valley on Thursday. They’re looking to serve 2,100 meals to those in need, however, they are still searching for 100 more volunteers to drive and deliver the food.
It will happen at Duncan Dinning Hall on the Texas A&M Campus. Volunteer shifts will be from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
“If you don’t want to deliver as far as driving go you don’t have to there’s plating and then there’s loading cars there’s breaking down turkeys there’s a lot of different aspects to it and its all on Thanksgiving morning,” Danny Morrison, Epicures Catering said.
Anyone willing to volunteer can register on the United Way of the Brazos Valley website at this link.
It will also be the 35th year in a row that Bryan Resident Gloria Kennard serves hot homemade Thanksgiving meals at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. There is no need to sign up, Kennard said to just show up at the church on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thanksgiving Day at 8 a.m.
“Green beans need to be opened, turkeys need to be pulled, cakes need to be cut, bread needs to be sacked, soda needs to be put on ice and we need to get ready for 12 o’clock,” Kenard said. “The meal has really grown and especially this year there are many people hurting.”
As for the Brazos Valley Food Bank, they’ve covered for the holiday, but they do need help on other days.
“We have multiple assembles that we do so are volunteer activities are throughout the entire year, we always need volunteers to come volunteer we have shifts from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.,” Destiny Lavador, Brazos Valley Food Bank food and friends manager said.
The foodbank is also getting ready for its biggest day of the year which is just around the corner.
“Getting ready for the KBTX food drive or needing some help with distribution set up and preparing boxes and getting supplies for the food drive,” Lavador said.
