It takes a village
Local volunteers start early in the week to provide Thanksgiving across the community
Volunteers were in heavy supply across the city this week to support various campaigns aimed at feeding a Thanksgiving meal to the homeless and those in need.
Community dinners were scheduled from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond to Norman High School with shelters and churches dotting the map in between.
Those dinners weren’t made this morning.
More than 1,000 people infected and affected by HIV will have a fresh turkey dinner delivered this morning thanks to Cookie’s Thanksgiving.
The bailiwick of Other Options, Cookie’s Thanksgiving is in its 18th year. Preparations began on Monday at Earth Elements, then picked up at Sunnyside Diner.
Aly Cunningham, coowner and operator of Sunnyside Diner, said she knew few of the volunteers who showed up Tuesday to chop onions and celery but was happy for the help.
Krystle Davis said she was spending her Tuesday chopping onions because volunteering has become a part of her life — thanks to the church group she belongs to.
“We do this sort of thing all the time,” Davis said. “It’s a lot of fun, and it makes you feel good.”
Cunningham said they couldn’t have made Cookie’s Thanksgiving work without the help of food distributor Ben E. Keith, which provided a refrigerated truck to store all the prepped food.
“We could never have stored food for 1,000 people,” Cunningham said.
On Wednesday, local chefs convened or contributed to the Turning the Table on Hunger effort at the Homeless Alliance’s Westtown day shelter.
TTOH Founder Clayton Bahr arrived bleary-eyed, thanks to the all-night Turkey Tango responsible for the fresh-roasted turkeys served Wednesday to the Westtown Clientele.
Turkey Tango started 10 years ago and has evolved into a two-night event hosted by Claude Rappaport’s Culinary Kitchen. Turkey Tango provided the turkeys for Westtown’s Wednesday lunch but the work continued overnight so Thanksgiving at local shelters also will provide turkey right out of the oven.
The Westtown kitchen was bustling Wednesday as volunteers loaded the commercial facility. Chefs Brad Johnson of Hal Smith Restaurant Group and Russ Johnson of Ludivine and R&J Lounge and Supper Club volunteered their talents to help kitchen managers Johnny Wofford and Delbert Briggs. Chefs Kurt Fleischfresser and David Henry also provided food.
Briggs soon will take the reins on his own as Wofford is due to retire in December.
“Not sure what I’ll do (without Johnny),” Briggs said. “But we’ll make do.”
That means the Westtown Shelter will need all the help it can get long after the tidal wave of volunteers ebb after Christmas.
Cunningham said Other Options has programs it supports and institutes throughout the year.
“There’s always a need for financial donations,” she said.
To review the the different ways you can donate time and/or money to these nonprofits, go online to homelessalliance.org and otheroptionsokc.org.