Pandemic does not stop Salvation Army with preparing for Thanksgiving
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Mobile, AL (WALA) — Preparing a Thanksgiving feast for the needy has been a Salvation Army tradition for decades. The charity is not letting COVID-19 stop that, but the celebration will be different this year.
Normally, the Salvation Army location on Dauphin Street is overflowing on Thanksgiving Day. This year, the charity plans a drive-through event.
“This year has been heavily intense. … Unbelievable,” said food and beverage manager Cecil Morris Jr. thinking back on a year marked by the pandemic and a record-breaking hurricane season. ‘The undertaking that we do here at the Salvation Army. We didn’t close for any hurricanes. We didn’t close the COVID-19. And we’re definitely not gonna close to Thanksgiving. So we’re gonna need to work together.”
Morris, who has has been doing this for 27 years, said there will be some picnic tables outside for people who want to eat onsite. But mostly, people can drive up to the east side of the building to pick up individually packaged meals – six per vehicle.
So what’s on the menu? The “world famous Salvation Army turkey,” along with ham, dressing, green beans, yams, a side salad and dessert.
Morris said the charity will prepare between 1,000 to 1,200 Thanksgiving meals. That’s comparable to what the Salvation Army normally makes for Thanksgiving. But ha added that he does not know what the turnout will be. On the one hand, he said people are concerned about the virus. But on the other hand, there are a lot more people hurting this year.
“We don’t know what the onslaught is going to be,” he said.
If you want a meal, Morris said, just drive up and ask for one.
“And then we’ll have an army of volunteers that have volunteers that have volunteered, and we’re going to service people on both sides of the building,” he said.
Added Morris: “They will service you with a smile, and it’s probably gonna be the free meal you’re gonna have in the city of Mobile.”
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