Austin community rallies to deliver Thanksgiving meals for those in need
AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE) - On this holiday, people around Austin got into the giving spirit.
Several local Thanksgiving charity events took place Thursday morning for families in need.
Turkey Day is not just about food, football, and parades, it’s also about giving back, and people in Austin, including Governor Greg Abbott, felt charitable.
Governor Abbott, First Lady Cecilia Abbott and their daughter did their part Thursday morning by volunteering with .
“We have a responsibility to make sure that we are giving back to those who may be lacking, and one way that we can do that is by delivering Meals on Wheels at this time of Thanksgiving – a time when we all like to come together and support each other,” Abbott said.
The governor and his family have made this an annual tradition.
The First Family was joined by Meals on Wheels Central Texas and hundreds of volunteers to help deliver Thanksgiving Day meals to about 500 homebound seniors in Austin right at their doorstep.
Most of these seniors live alone.
“Sometimes I wait for it, and they’re late, and I say, ‘Where are they?’” said Meals on Wheels recipient John Thomas Villegas. “I get to meet all the ladies and they guys that come leave the food, and they’re pretty nice.”
Throughout Austin, was well underway.
Fifteen-hundred members of the community, along with some from Austin FC, spent their Thanksgiving morning helping package and deliver thousands of warm Thanksgiving meals to those who are without shelter.
“As a new club, one of the things that we committed to was giving back, and so this is one of the small ways that we’re able to provide, you know, something special for people who are in need,” said Austin FC president Andy Loughnane.
Richard Bagdonas founded Operation Turkey 23 years ago with one meal.
Now, it’s grown to be bigger than ever.
“This is an opportunity for community members to come together and share in the experience of providing the giving part of Thanksgiving,” Bagdonas said. “Fifty-thousand volunteers across the country are helping feed 15% of the U.S. homeless
population. I couldn’t be more proud!”
These are just a couple of the special Thanksgiving events CBS Austin attended, but thousands nationwide came together Thursday all to share in the spirit of giving.
