Miami Rescue Mission Provides Feast For Homeless
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami Rescue Mission is continuing their Thanksgiving tradition by feeding the homeless.
Thanksgiving is a time to be surrounded by family and friends but that's not always possible for some people. That's where the Miami Rescue Mission comes in. It makes sure that everyone has somewhere to go to give thanks and enjoy a good meal.
The Miami Rescue Mission and its Broward Outreach Centers in Hollywood and Pompano Beach are feeding thousands of people this Thanksgiving.
The Mission started preparing turkeys 10 days ago.
The development director for the Miami Rescue Mission said Thanksgiving is about helping the homeless and needy, not just by feeding them, but in other ways as well.
"There's a clothing giveaway and hygiene product giveaway. We have the purple bags, we call them Hope Totes and many people in the community do Hope Tote drives, so when we do the events, we are able to give out the hygiene products," said Marilyn Brummit. "It's all about hope and letting people know that God loves them and the community loves them and there is a way off the street or if they're just needy and they need a meal, they can come here and be served and feel God's love."
The Miami Rescue Mission hopes people use the Thanksgiving event to enroll into one of their programs.
A traditional meal is served at the Mission. Chefs have been preparing all week and are grateful to give something back to the community.
Head chef Calvin McFadden is also a graduate of the Mission and has been working there for a decade.
"We cook about 175 turkeys, we have 150 pounds of mashed potatoes and 175 pounds of stuffing, 60 pounds of cranberry, 300 pies, and 30 gallons of gravy," said McFadden. "Everything is ready to go."
Nearly 3,000 Thanksgiving meals are expected to be served Thursday.
More than 600 volunteers are taking part in Thursday's Great Thanksgiving Banquet and Outside Block party. Today's event is a tradition for the mission and also for many of the volunteers that have made it part of theirs.
"I have been coming here since 1997 it feels great to give back," said volunteer Marlene Bachrach.
The Miami Rescue Mission has three campuses in Miami-Dade and Broward but it's not just about the food.
The homeless can also get a free haircut and shower, medical services, and get information about programs could possibly help them get off the streets. The block party also has kids' entertainment, and live music. The next big celebration at the mission will be on December 24th.
