Working on Thanksgiving is no fun, but some don’t have a choice.
A local church will try to make their day a little better when they deliver a portable Thanksgiving meal. East Side Christian Church Outreach Minister Evan Taylor said they’re going all kinds of places to hand out 32-ounce cups with layers of stuffing, potatoes, green beans, turkey and rolls.
"QTs, pharmacies — Walgreens, CVS — a lot of places people don't realize are open, like movie theaters, Dollar General, Dollar Tree. We go to the ER," Taylor said.
The meal delivery is called Cuppa-Thanks, and it started five years ago when Taylor and his family couldn’t find a place in need of volunteers on Thanksgiving. He says they were inspired by a similar church program in Colorado.
"The first year we did 50, just our family, and we've increased every year since then and now we're up to 500 this year. Last year, we did 350, so it's quite an increase," Taylor said.
It takes a lot of volunteers and sponsors to get that many Thanksgiving dinners into 32-ounce cups.
"Pancho Anaya ... every year have donated all the rolls, and Party Serve this year, at the Expo Center, they're cooking 35 turkeys for us," Taylor said. "Zealot Branding purchased those turkeys. First Christian Church provides the flatware and tons of volunteers, and Sue Ann Blair of McGraw Realtors, she's providing the aprons, which are brand-new this year."
Volunteers are putting the cups together assembly line–style today.
