The Salt Lake City Mission’s Great Thanksgiving Dinner for the Hungry and Homeless is about more than just a meal.
The organization was prepared to serve up to 3,500 attendees a traditional Thanksgiving meal that included turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, candied yams and pumpkin pie. But volunteers also provided hygiene kits, new shoes and coats and information about a variety of programs and services in an effort to help people experiencing homelessness beyond Thanksgiving Day.
“Very often the pathway for a person to come off the street starts with a meal,” said Joe Vazquez, the organization’s co-executive director.