Homeless Outreach Groups 'Fill In The Gap' With Holiday Dinners
DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Rescue Mission collects and distributes 15,000 turkeys to those experiencing homelessness each year around the holidays. So far they're well short of their goal, having collected only 3,300 turkeys, but there is still time to donate, and the need is great.
"People are just so joyful and they're so excited when they receive these turkeys and this holiday meal," said Nicole Tschetter with the Denver Rescue Mission knows the power of giving.
"It's more than just a meal, sometimes people see it as a gateway to hope and a gateway to better days," she said.
"They've provided, I'd say over all those years, more than 10,000 turkeys to our organization alone," said David Clifton, whose organization is one of hundreds who come to the Rescue Mission for food to feed those they serve.
"We're there to fill in the gap, to help people wherever they're at, whatever their need is, we want to reach out and bring them from hopelessness to hope," he said.
Each year on the second Saturday in November, Clifton's Ministry serves a Thanksgiving meal to the homeless in Civic Center park—this year they fed nearly 10,000 people.
"Our whole impetus is to feed the homeless, provide shelter, provide food, clothing and get them out of an emergency situation and put them back into society," said Clifton.
The Denver Rescue Mission is collecting more than just turkeys.
"Canned fruits and veggies, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, anything that you think of when you think of Thanksgiving, those are the items we need right now," said Tschetter.
And for the first time, you can text 'Turkey' to 24365 to donate to the Denver Rescue Mission.
"That way if you don't want to go to the store and get a turkey and bring it down to us, you can still help out by simply doing a text message," said Tschetter
Providing another way to serve those, our neighbors, in need.