Thousands line up for free Thanksgiving groceries near downtown Los Angeles

[marmar]

from the LA Times:



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Thousands line up for free Thanksgiving groceries near downtown L.A.
November 21, 2009 | 1:24 pm


Thousands of people, some of whom camped out overnight, were lined up this morning outside of the L.A. Dream Center for a free bag groceries, including a 12-pound turkey, to prepare their Thanksgiving meal.

Pastor Matthew Barnett, founder of the center, led scores of volunteers in prayer before the food giveaway. Throughout the morning families were led into the center's parking lot, where they walked down four lines, collecting their turkey and a bag filled with dried potato flakes, canned peas and green beans.

Volunteers clapped and smiled as men, women and children collected their meals. Several people began standing at 2 p.m. Friday. "It's unprecedented," Barnett said. "We've never seen anything like that before." The center gave away about 1,800 turkeys.

Gloria Chica, 28, a housekeeper with little work, stood in line for several hours with her 3-year-old daughter.

"You know, lately some families don't have jobs and if you don't have a job, you can't have a Thanksgiving meal," she said. "But thankfully you can get one here." Chica said she had been cleaning three to four houses a month, but now goes weeks without work because her former employers have lost their jobs.

The center was founded in 1994, and has handed out food to needy families since then.

-- Ruben Vives



http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/thousands-line-up-for-free-thanksgiving-groceries-near-downtown-la.html

[old mark]

1. Philabundance, an organization in Philly, does this all year, every year.

Local groups such as radio stations and factory employee groups have food drives especially around Thanksgiving to get food to donate. Some organizations raise TONS of food every year. Link:


http://www.philabundance.org/takeactionnow/tan_volunteer.asp

ALL of these organizations nationwide need volunteers. If you can spare even a little time, you can help someone in your own area stay alive and even celebrate the holidays.

These organizations can always ues donations of food and a little cash if you have it.
Happy Thanksgiving.

mark