Thanksgiving meals were served to thousands of people in need Thursday on Skid Row and in Compton, Canoga Park, Pasadena and Hollywood.
The Midnight Mission served Thanksgiving brunch to nearly 2,500 homeless and near-homeless men, women and children. The feast included 7,000 pounds of herb-roasted turkey, 7,000 pounds of oven-baked ham, 1,500 pounds of mashed potatoes, 90 gallons of gravy, 1,500 pounds of steamed vegetables, 1,000 pounds of stuffing, 500 pounds of cranberry sauce, 300 pounds of dinner rolls and 300 pounds of dessert, according to Georgia Berkovich, director of public affairs.
Volunteer servers were expected to include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, entertainer Dick Van Dyke, actress Katey Sagal, actor Mr. T, World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
The Midnight Mission was seeking donations of $5 to $10 each to help cover the costs of the Thanksgiving brunch meals. Donations can be made by texting the keyword meals to 71777.
The Midnight Mission — which was founded in 1914 and bills itself as offering “paths to self-sufficiency to men, women and children who have lost direction” — has been serving nearly 1 million meals a year since 2013, Berkovich told City News Service.
“We haven’t seen numbers like this since the Great Depression,” she said.
The nearby Fred Jordan Mission served Thanksgiving dinner to about 2,000 people.
Meanwhile, dozens of volunteers came together at Compton College to help assemble more than 10,000 Thanksgiving dinners to be distributed from Compton to San Diego. Meals were also served to the homeless on-site.
Close to 2,000 people were served a sit-down meal of turkey with all the trimmings at the 31st annual Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner for San Fernando Valley residents in need at the Guadalupe Community Center in Canoga Park.
Nearly 500 people were fed at the seventh annual Pasadena Thanksgiving Share a Meal event at the Pasadena Sandwich Company.
Nearly 100 families in need have been identified by the Pasadena Unified School District’s homeless and transitional program “Families in Transition” and invited to attend, according to Meghan Fink, whose late father Stephen E. Fink founded the Pasadena Sandwich Company.
“By coming together as a community, we’re able to provide a safe and fun holiday environment for families to enjoy Thanksgiving together, year after year,” Fink said.
Also in Pasadena, Union Station Homeless Services served meals to the hungry at Central Park.
The Laugh Factory in Hollywood is hosting its 39th annual free Thanksgiving Feasts, welcoming those who might be lonely, homeless or simply in need of a warm meal.
In his Thanksgiving proclamation, President Donald Trump said, “This Thanksgiving, as we gather in places of worship and around tables surrounded by loved ones, in humble gratitude for the bountiful gifts we have received, let us keep in close memory our fellow Americans who have faced hardship and tragedy this year.
“In the spirit of generosity and compassion, let us joyfully reach out in word and deed, and share our time and resources throughout our communities. Let us also find ways to give to the less fortunate whether it be in the form of sharing a hearty meal, extending a helping hand or providing words of encouragement.”