INDIANAPOLIS — This Thanksgiving, it's down to the wire for organizations like the Mozel Sanders Foundation.
"We are in heavy prep mode," said Dawn Jones, with the foundation, which expects to feed 11,000 people. "On Thursday morning, we'll begin the warming up of all food items and then packaging them and then delivering them to those families that have requested and reserved meals in advance."
The foundation is back in Atherton Hall on the campus of Butler University this year as the main hub to feed families.
"We're so excited to be back here. This was a long-standing partnership, pre COVID, and now we're back here," said Jones.
More preparation means more volunteers are needed, and not just to help set up but to also help clean up.
"We are usually finished with all the meals and out the door usually about 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., so from that 12 p.m. time to about 2 or 3, we need help for clean up here," said Jones.
Some churches are also in need.
"Right now, we're at 22 turkeys, so we're short," said Father Rick Ginther, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Irvington.
Father Rick said 30 cooked and carved turkeys are needed for about 300 people. Many will pick up their meals or have food delivered.
Our Lady of Lourdes is one of seven churches coming together to host an Irvington Community Thanksgiving Dinner Thursday.
"I always think of Matthew, chapter 25: 'I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink, etc.' and that's part of why we do this," Ginther said.
Ginther said Thanksgiving has a deeper meaning.
"It's much more than a meal. Just the people who come in to pick up, they get to interact with other folks. The one's who are delivered, it's more than just a meal because it's an outreach. They call. We try to respond within a particular area and for those who dine in, they'll spend two to three hours there," he said.
Those who come talk to others so they're not alone.
"We give them a sense of family on Thanksgiving," Ginther said.
Ginther and Jones agree that this Thanksgiving is about helping those in need.
"We're doing what we can in partnership with our partners to take care of those that need to be taken care of," said Jones.
If you would like to deliver a cooked and carved turkey to Our Lady of Lourdes, contact 317-356-7291 or email parish@ollindy.org. If you're interested in volunteering for the Mozel Sanders Foundation, visit the foundation's website.