Thousands Of Volunteers Pack Thanksgiving Meals
By Holly Wagner, WCCO-TV
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Hundreds of volunteers woke up before the sun came up this Thanksgiving to help families in need.
At 4 a.m., the annual Meals on Wheels event got underway at Cretin Derham Hall in St. Paul.
People stood side-by-side in assembly line fashion, and packed enough turkey dinners to feed more than 15,000 people in the Twin Cities.
After four hours of packaging turkey, potatoes, stuffing, vegetables and pumpkin pie, hundreds more volunteers arrived and drove the meals to families in the community.
The Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels event was founded by Bill Foussard and Barb Asleson 40 years ago. This year, the two handed things over to Barb's children.
Hannah and Luke Asleson organized the distribution.
Hannah Asleson said it's not easy trying to fill such big shoes, especially because her mother did the work with such grace and poise. Her mother and Bill both helped out this morning, which Hannah said was comforting.
It also helped that they had so many experienced volunteers.
"We're in good company, so that makes it easier," she said.
So many people turned out to volunteer that they had to send some people home.
The food for all of the dinners was donated from people in the community and local businesses.
