Special turkey dinner on the Downtown Eastside

tiffiant

Special turkey dinner on the Downtown Eastside
Almost 1,000 pounds of vegetables will be dished out
Tanya Fletcher Oct 09, 2011 13:58:33 PM
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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Hundreds of volunteers will serve thousands of turkey dinners on the Downtown Eastside this long weekend.  One homeless shelter on East Hastings is also celebrating a Thanksgiving first tomorrow.

"What makes it really exciting is this is Union Gospel Mission's first Thanksgiving in our new facility," says UGM President Bill Mollard.  "We're really expecting to serve a lot more meals this year; about 30 per cent more, which equals a total of about 3,000 turkey dinners."

That means shopping for 170 turkeys, 1,500 pounds of mashed potatoes, 70 gallons of gravy, 900 pounds of vegetables, and 650 pumpkin pies.

"We know lives will change because of this Thanksgiving dinner.  They dare to hope again because they know people care, that they take the time to serve a hot meal."

About 250 volunteers will be spending their holiday Monday helping out at the facility.

"We know from past experiences people are going to enter our alcohol and drug recovery program because of this Thanksgiving meal, and families that have been split apart from addictions may share a meal for the first time in many years."

http://www.ugm.ca/