Salvation Army offers bounty to those in need during the holidays

By: MARY EIDSON - For the North County Times | Sunday, November 20, 2005 9:07 PM PST ∞

ESCONDIDO ---- It's the start of the holiday season and that means the Escondido chapter of the Salvation Army is in the midst of its annual tradition: scrambling to provide food and gifts for those in need.

For more than 40 years, the local chapter has served up a free Thanksgiving dinner at its headquarters at 1301 Las Villas Way. This year, organizers expect to serve over 100 people at the feast, which will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

"We welcome everybody like they're family," said Maria Hernandez, the agency's secretary and go-to person in any emergency. When last year's cook decided to back out of the job two days before Thanksgiving, Hernandez stepped right in and prepared the meal.

"Part of my job description is 'anything else that needs to be done,' and this had to be done," said Hernandez. She plans to bring her children in to help her and her volunteers to peel potatoes and carve turkeys on Wednesday.

While the majority of the dinner will be prepared at the Salvation Army with the help of 30 volunteers, its ovens are not currently working so Major Market has generously offered to cook the turkeys. With all the stress that preparing so large a meal can bring, Hernandez says she and her volunteers know the most important ingredient is a sense of humor.

"We do a lot of joking around in the kitchen, and that makes it fun," she said.

And they plan to make it fun for the families as well. Along with the turkey, stuffing and pie, they will be providing face-painting and crafts for the children and live piano music for the adults.

The Salvation Army is still in need of items for the meal and is seeking the community's help. Items needed include 10 turkeys, 20 pounds of potatoes, any kind of commercially-made gravy, 125 dinner rolls, 5 large (No. 10) cans of green beans, 10 large boxes of stuffing and 10 large commercially-made pumpkin pies.

Although the Salvation Army helps people in need throughout the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas are undoubtedly their greatest effort to reach those in need in our community.

"Our mission is to share God's love in a practical way," said Captain Derek Strickland, head of the local Salvation Army chapter.

Before the wishbone has even been broken on Thanksgiving night, Strickland and his team will turn their attention to the rapidly approaching Christmas holiday. Their Group Christmas Assistance Program to North County Families and Children hopes to make Christmas a little brighter for families from Escondido, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Valley Center and San Marcos.

Local businesses and North County residents have already adopted 40 to 50 families and will provide a food box, a grocery store certificate and toys for the children, to their adopted family. More than 3,200 people including 1,700 kids will receive food and toys on Dec. 22 through the holiday program.

In addition to local businesses that are participating in the program, students throughout the city are pitching in.

"We have about 12 schools in the area collecting canned food for us, and we are extremely grateful to them," said Hernandez.

Space is tight this year and the Salvation Army needs a 5,000- to 10,000-square-foot warehouse to store the donations. The warehouse would be needed from Dec. 1 to 31.

"If we can't find a warehouse, we will still provide for the families," Strickland said. "But, we won't be able to distribute the items at the same time."

Businesses and individuals interested in donating items or a warehouse space are asked to call (760) 745-8616, or bring items to 1301 Las Villas Way (southwest corner of El Norte and Centre City Parkway).

Free Salvation Army Thanksgiving dinner

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: 1301 Las Villas Way, Escondido

Info: (760) 745-8616

Donations needed: 10 turkeys, 20 pounds of potatoes, commercially-made gravy, 125 dinner rolls, 5 large cans of green beans, 10 large boxes of stuffing and 10 large commercially-made pumpkin pies.

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