"Grocery Store" Opens for Families' Thanksgiving Needs

The City Rescue Mission is having a Thanksgiving food giveaway.  The recently built Impact Hunger Food Resource Center will open exclusively to holiday shoppers Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Resource Center is essentially a grocery store, where families in need can shop for items they need to cook a Thanksgiving dinner.  

Thousands have been given tickets to participate in the giveaway.  They will show up from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Resource Center for twelve items, including a turkey or ham, all at no cost.

"The beautiful thing about this concept is that they come in, they get a basket and they can come in and select the types of foods their family would like to eat," Tom Jones, the president and CEO of the City Rescue Mission, said.

This kind of shopping environment allows families who use food pantries to maintain their dignity, Jones said.  He said this kind of program also cuts back on food waste. Often families who are given a pre-packed box from a food bank, end up throwing out some of the food, because it is filled with items families do no like, or  do no know how to prepare.

"There's no need to suffer out there, there's a place that they can come to and that's the City Rescue Mission," Marta Galeana said.  She works at the mission, and receives help from it.

Galeana will participate in the mission's annual community Thanksgiving lunch.

"I love knowing that we're going to be here this Thanksgiving and my kids are going to experience an amazing Thanksgiving," she said.

The community meal is another opportunity for Oklahomans to have a Thanksgiving meal.  The Resource Center will also be open on Wednesday evening to everyone from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for families to take the remaining items.

The City Rescue Mission estimates more than 10,000 meals will be given out during these three days.  The Resource Center has been open for eight weeks, and has already served more than 3,000 families, Jones said.  In a year, he estimates it will provide more than 1.2 million meals.  Anyone on food stamps or with a referral from their church or other agency can use the pantry year-around.
       
The Impact Hunger Food Resource Center is located at 831 California Ave. in downtown Oklahoma City.
"Grocery Store" Opens for Families' Thanksgiving Needs

Posted: Sunday, November 18 2012, 09:21 PM CST