'I’m just really grateful to be here': Interfaith serves North County residents Thanksgiving meal
Nov 28, 2024
ESCONDIDO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- More than a hundred people were given a free Thanksgiving meal from Interfaith Services in Escondido on Thursday afternoon. It's something Interfaith has done for the last 38 years, and Ann Fleming has been enjoying her Thanksgiving meal at Interfaith for the last 15 years.
“I’m just really grateful to be here," said Fleming who has a milestone to celebrate this year. “I'm 25 years today clean and sober and I have my own place now and it just means so much to me."
There was a line out the door before it opened, and in just the first 20 minutes, they were open. Eighty people enjoyed a full Thanksgiving meal from a salad, turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, a roll and also a big slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
“There’s people in need and we’re here to serve," said Jazmin Oregon, Director of Inland Services with Interfaith Services. She brought 15 of her family members to help serve.
Geri Mu has been a weekly volunteer at Interfaith Services for 12 years, all because of her daughter, who was 14 years old when she wanted to volunteer after taking a tour with her Girl Scout troop.
“She wanted to volunteer here but she couldn’t be in the kitchen without adult supervision so we were in the kitchen once a week," Mu added. "I stayed in the kitchen once a week to keep her place.”
“It's just really nice to be able to provide for people," Geri Mu's daughter Cassandra Hom said. "It shaped my life a lot I ended up becoming a social worker.”
And now it's a tradition for the family to volunteer together on Thanksgiving Day.
“It's nice to be able to spread that joy and feel special on days, maybe they don’t always feel special so they can enjoy this day too," Mu said.
Before the Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, Interfaith Services also helped feed 231 families with turkeys and dry goods in the 48 hours leading up to Thanksgiving.