Thanksgiving Prep 2021: Union Gospel Mission Readies 900 Meals

PORTLAND, OR — So, Thanksgiving is just a few days away. You – or someone in your family – is probably hard at work in the kitchen getting things ready. How many people are you getting for? Four? Six? Twelve?

How about 900?

That's what's happening in the kitchen at Union Gospel Mission downtown. Volunteers are hard at work cooking and preparing meals for the at least 900 people expected to be in need.

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When you're feeding almost 1,000 people, you need to prepare a lot of food. For Union Gospel Mission, that means 100 turkeys, 50 lbs. each of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and fresh candied yams, at least 60 gallons of turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, ambrosia fruit salad, and dinner rolls with butter.

As for dessert, there will be 175 pumpkin pies with whipped cream and 100 gallons of coffee.

All that food requires a lot of volunteers and the food service director at Union Gospel Mission, Lori Quinney, says that they are thankful for all of the help.

"This time of year makes me very grateful for our volunteers and generous donors who provide us with the opportunity to serve traditional Thanksgiving meals to those who might not otherwise have one," Quinney says..

"This year, they will help us provide 900 Thanksgiving food baskets to our downtown neighbors and to our church partner's families in need. What a blessing!"

The meals will not only be distributed at Union Gospel Mission's place at 3 NW Third Avenue, UGM is working with churches and other groups to get the meals to people in the streets and at UGM's overnight shelter.

Union Gospel Mission says that if people would like to provide Thanksgiving baskets to local families, donations can be made. at www.ugmportland.org/donate or mailed to 3 NW Third Avenue Portland, OR 97209 .