Everywhere you looked, it seemed, there was something to be thankful for at this Nov. 17 Thanksgiving turkey-and-groceries giveaway at Natomas High:
· Joey’s Food Locker was the host, a community food closet located on campus and created to provide bags of groceries each month to hundreds of local residents.
· Today’s turkey and groceries – corn, stuffing beans, pasta cornbread, tuna and peanut butter – were designed to help provide a stomach-filling Thanksgiving feast to Natomas families that otherwise be hard-pressed to afford it.
· Three hundred turkeys for the giveaway were donated by Keller Williams Realty, which got the holiday season off to a roaring start.
· Special-needs students helped to bag and carry the food from Joey’s Food Locker patrons. The adult students, from Joel Schwieger’s Adult Transition Program at Natomas High, learn independent living and customer relations skills by stocking, bagging and serving at the food locker each month.
Among patrons, there were smiles aplenty.
A little girl walked beside her Mom at the giveaway, admiring their Thanksgiving bounty. “Look at that TURKEY,” the youth squealed. “I know, it’s huge!” the Mom shot back. Their joy was palpable.
Another local resident, Arnold, said he lives in a home with eight people “so I’m trying to get a turkey for all of us.”
Wey had a two-word reaction to getting a turkey and bag of groceries. “It’s wonderful,” he said.
Autumn said she has a really large family, nine in her home, so the free turkey will make a big difference.
Earlier that day, Keller Williams Realty representatives Rico Rivera, Michael Soares and Manny Toledo bought 300 turkeys from West Sacramento Walmart and watched at the store while the holiday entrees were loaded onto a Natomas Unified truck for delivery to Joey’s Food Locker.
Why bankroll such an expensive donation?
“Our community gives to us and we want to give back – having a nice meal at Thanksgiving is something everybody deserves,” explained Rivera, manager of the Keller Williams branch at 4080 Truxel Road.
Michael Soares, owner of the local Keller Williams branch, said that he’d like to see every family enjoy a nice family get-together at Thanksgiving. He hopes the 300 donated turkeys will help achieve that. “It’s all about community,” he said.
Plenty to be thankful for, indeed.
