SAN ANTONIO – Thousands of free turkeys and other Thanksgiving food staples were given out to neighbors on Saturday morning from all over San Antonio.
Organizers behind these events said the need is always high at the end of the year and holiday season.
"I got here about 7:15 (a.m.), and there was already a line of about 100 cars. One lady said they’ve been here since 5:15 this morning. We don’t start till 10:00,“ Rev. James Robinson said.
Rev. Robinson and his nonprofit, Gospel Vision Ministries, have hosted the Thanksgiving giveaway for more than two decades.
Zulema Ramirez and Alexandra Vargas are two of those people who started waiting for a free turkey at 5 a.m. The pair said the event put on in Comanche Park is a staple of their community.
“This is my first time ever doing it,” said Ramirez. “I’ve heard about it, and I’ve always wanted to get one because sometimes turkeys are expensive.”
Robinson said it all revolves around the volunteers who come and help unload more than 1,000 turkeys each year.
“I mean, we let you know we love you. You may not think you don’t have a turkey on your table. Come over to Comanche Park. We’re going to put one on your table,” Robinson said.
Operation Homefront helped 375 military families have something to eat on Thanksgiving with a drive-through turkey distribution on the South Side.
“In San Antonio, it is not hard to get someone to say, ‘Yes, I’ll help you,‘“ Robin Carter with Operation Homefront said. ”So my job is not difficult here. When you say military families, people say, ‘What do you need?’”
Families who got their hands on a free turkey said that effort from these nonprofits and volunteers doesn’t go unnoticed. It makes their holidays much happier.
“The military community is family. And that’s big, especially when you’re away from family,” one military family told KSAT. “This is an opportunity to have extended family, and that’s really important when you’re away from your family.”
