From the early morning kitchen crews preparing hundreds of turkeys to the delivery drivers bringing holiday meals directly to clients’ doors, Thanksgiving Day at Food & Friends is powered by the hands and hearts of volunteers. This year, a few hundred volunteers will join together to help make sure that nearly 1,000 families receive a delicious meal and know they are cared for.
For Director of Volunteer Services Katrina Mathis, Thanksgiving at Food & Friends is more than a day, it’s a season of generosity that showcases the very best of our community.
“This will be my seventh Thanksgiving at Food & Friends, and I am thankful for our amazingly generous volunteers who show up day in and day out, but especially during this big time of year for us,” Mathis shares. “This is our busiest month, maybe even our biggest event, and they show up for the clients. They show up to make this a success, and we couldn’t do it without them.”
A day that traditionally starts around 4 a.m., Mathis can’t help but notice the contagious and positive spirit around the facility. “Volunteers describe the experience as exhilarating and joyful,” she says. “They will finish deliveries and come back looking for more. You have just delivered a beautiful meal that feeds 5 people to 3-4 clients, and you want to do more good. Some people get back in line to do it again.”
Even those not directly preparing Thanksgiving meals play a critical role in making the day a success. “Everyone helps,” Mathis emphasizes. “Even if you’re not making cranberry sauce or turkeys. Because helping us feed our regular clients, doing our deliveries, all that stuff doesn’t stop. We need volunteers for all shifts.”
For Katrina, the dedication of volunteers is both inspiring and deeply personal. What began as a job has become a community of neighbors helping neighbors she’s proud to lead.
“This place is magic. At Food & Friends, we make magic happen every day.”
We have amazing volunteers at Food & Friends, but we can always use one more! Join us this Thanksgiving season and be part of something bigger than yourself. Sign up to volunteer today at foodandfriends.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/thanksgiving.