Brawley Feed the Need, Vo Medical and others feed over 1,000 on Thanksgiving
BRAWLEY – Volunteers gathered at Brawley Feed the Need to prepare Thanksgiving plates for community members who don’t have access to the traditional holiday meal on November 24.
This year, Brawley Feed the Need shared meals with around 1,100 people in Brawley, Calipatria, Niland, Westmorland, and the Salton Sea, said Feed the Need CEO and founder, Rosalind Servin.
With a busy working line of volunteers and Brawley Feed the Need location transformed into a Thanksgiving meal site to celebrate the holidays with those who don’t have access to this dinner.
“This is the first time that I’ve ever done anything this big as far as serving people,” Servin said. “It’s a lot of work, but we’re just really glad that we’re able to do something like this.”
“That’s what Thanksgiving is about, being thankful for what we have and how better to give thanks by helping others,” Servin said.
On Nov. 18, Brawley Feed the Need gave 100 food baskets to families for them to prepare Thanksgiving meals, Servin said.
“Brawley Feed the Need is a representation of God’s faithfulness and how The Lord is very consistent and always making sure that we are taken care of. We want to do the same thing for the community,” Servin said. “We do our best to make sure that there’s always food on the table.”
“”It’s good to be able to help people, especially with the financial crisis that’s happening right now,” she said.
Vo Medical Center, in partnership with Brown Bag Coalition, Christ Community Church, and Brawley Feed The Need, completed a countywide distribution of over 1,600 Thanksgiving meals and 500 turkeys on Nov. 24th, according to a press release.
“It is always in my mind, helping people, that’s my goal,” said Dr. Tien Tan Vo. “That’s why we organize this to help any people that don’t have a Turkey at home or resources to get it.”
The countywide event which started on Nov. 18 continued throughout the week, and closed with the massive, countywide distribution of meals on Thanksgiving Day. The event was sponsored by Vo
Medical Center in honor of Dr. Tien Tan Vo’s birthday in November, per the release.
“We are not patients or doctors; we are family, we are friends, we are here to help,” Dr. Vo said.
Servin said that it is important during this time for the community to come together.
Volunteers from different parts of the county decided to spend their holiday helping feed others.
“I was more than happy to help out, especially today,” Mia Ramirez, a Calexico resident, said.
Ramirez said this was her first time as a volunteer. She said she felt blessed to have a roof over her head, which makes her want to help others who might not have that same basic necessity.
“I think is very important to help others and whatever we can do to help the community,” Ramirez said.
“When it comes to the holidays, we should always be available to help,” Servin said. “It’s just something that we should all be able to do.”