Last week’s freshly roasted turkeys are officially past the leftover stage but the feeling of having been a part of a unique Thanksgiving Day experience lingers on.
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We did it – served 10,000 turkey dinners on Thursday with a volunteer staff of about 300; backed up by a culinary and operations team of dozens. It took countless planning hours and 5 days of double cooking shifts to prepare.
Here are reflections from the volunteers:
Anna Hammond
Yonkers Salvation Army. November 26.
I’m struck by how efficient the team of volunteers in the kitchen is. Keeping things going at a steady pace, listening to directions from Joanna, Arielle, and Cynthia — whoever is calling out. Albert making sure the food is the perfect temperature and the serving trays are full. The four students up from NYU school of public health talking about their work in Tanzania as we all work together to figure out the best way to fill a to-go box so there’s maximum food but it still looks nice when it gets opened at home. The steady stream of plates going out to the open gym where people come in and sit with their families, a friend, a stranger — to eat good food together. Good people serving good people on a holiday. As family does.
Cynthia Yang
I was thinking that I might not send anything at all as all my thoughts seemed trite and cliché: it's important to give back; it's a blessing to be able to help people even on just one day; Thanksgiving is only one day of the year but our duties to each other remain constant.
But I am emailing you to share one brief moment of the day. As I was walking down the hallway, I stopped by a guest and her granddaughter holding 2 takeaway boxes. I wished her a happy Thanksgiving and she smiled: "I wasn't going to be able to have Thanksgiving this year because I couldn't afford it, so thank you all." This is what I'll remember most from my day, more than I will the camaraderie on the line, more than the precious image of a 7 year-old boy ever so carefully balancing a sealed plastic bottle of water to bring a guest, more than the satisfaction of seeing the number of empty hotel pans stacked in a corner at the end of the day. I will remember Thanksgiving 2009 by that woman's warm and contented smile.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Erik Sorenson
My family and I arrived in Harlem at 9am Thanksgiving morning and left six hours later which several new perspectives. Coming from privileged surroundings, it was terrific to see the joy and appreciation on the faces of the men, women and children who came to the Salvation Army on Martin Luther King Boulevard to enjoy a hot Thanksgiving meal. But just as enlightening was the experience we all had working in the kitchen, where everyone worked hard to keep the food hot. The kids developed a new appreciation for "the kitchen" and now understand the expression: "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." One of the most amazing things in our discovery was to learn that even large quantities of food could be made to be delicious
Karen Wenger
What an amazing day! So many different people and personalities coming together and working so magically as a team. It truly epitomized the spirit of Thanksgiving, and it was obvious that everyone there was finding many things to be thankful for.
So many of the volunteers were eager and excited to help in any way needed - especially the younger ones (I had a few teenagers), and it was wonderful to see the hard working teenagers inspire and put smiles on the adults!
I know some new friendships were started that day, and it was the volunteers who were truly blessed to be a part of such an amazing day.
Daniel Fung
The day could not have gone any better, with the great teamwork of all the volunteers and the common goal of providing a warm Thanksgiving meal for those who were able to make it out to the event. The efforts given by each and every volunteer made it much easier and allowed it to run smoothly. I did however expected the number of guests to be much higher, and was hoping that maybe next year we're able to help more people who may not have been aware that this event was available.
Mike Warren
4:30am and the alarm goes off and it was time to wake my 3 boys to head off to the Harlem Temple. My youngest son Elliot was very torn between wanting to volunteer and “doing the right thing” and giving up a portion of his Thanksgiving Day, to spend time with his cousins who he rarely gets to see. I was proud that he chose to “do the right thing” and help others less fortunate. In the end, the four of us had a great day feeding people that really needed a good meal. I know we got more out of it than the people we fed. It made our evening with 26 members of our family at our house much more meaningful.
Liz Gerber
Good turn out again this year with a better venue. Goldman employees are great!! Especially Mike age 12[a Goldman son} and Beyonce’s brother age 11 [I forgot his name but I think he is also a Goldman son] an aspiring chef who ‘s favorite person is Gordon Ramsey—he likes the way he yells at his chefs. And Bob Paul is in trouble! I want him as a KA!
This is what my father has done all his life—he still belongs to the American Legion and in fact is being made honorary Commander of New York this coming Feb—he says “he takes care of widows, orphans and the disadvantaged. As for my sister she follows in the family tradition of helping others volunteering at many different venues.
Marc Spooner
Yesterday meant a lot to me personally and professionally. A testament to my crew of cooks and sous chefs that we could all band together and accomplish such an important undertaking. It was inspiring to travel throughout the city to see the thousands of people enjoying the basic needs that we all should have the right to; nourishment for the body and soul.
Rick deHann
It was wonderful to start Thanksgiving Day with a sense of purpose beyond noting Macy's new parade route. I'm determined to make it my holiday ritual from now on. The best part was being part of a team, the greater team of the Salvation Army, GP and GS and then the GP kitchen team. All volunteers worked with joy and determination to make it a special day for those in need. The warmth and compassion with which they escorted the elderly to and from their seats, engaged in lengthy conversations, or happily packed up to-go orders for the disabled at home was truly moving. Our guests received more than just a fine meal. Thank you for this opportunity to enrich my Thanksgiving holiday in such a meaningful way.
Newton Pryce
I want to say, thank you for giving the opportunity to volunteer at the Salvation Army; The experience was socially inspiring and rewarding, not only did I enjoy the staff and other volunteer from G.P and GS, but I feel I made a difference for people who use the pantry to get food on Thanksgiving day.
Dan Obusan
East Harlem
Thanksgiving 2009 was easily the most gratifying Thanksgiving of my Life- yes it was missing family, and yes it was devoid of Football but as I sat down to eat my own Thanksgiving dinner with my friends, I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy at what I participated in earlier that morning.
I helped feed 1500 people at East Harlem earlier that morning as part of the GP/ GS team over at East Harlem on 125th Street and 3rd Avenue. It started out like any other workday- wake up and get to 125th street at 6:30 where the GP drivers were already waiting to get in and unload the 16 proofers filled with turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, mash potato, green beans and of course Gravy.
The set up was quick, with hands joining in as the day got older, pretty soon I had a full staff and we started the business of feeding people. The pace started slowly, our first seating was lighter than anticipated but our second and third seating was fairly busy. The GP staff managed the kitchen while Goldman Sach worked the dining room. The kitchen was light hearted - as any do gooder will tell you, helping others tend to make you happy. We managed to feed our guests and also box up To Go dinners for the battered women shelter across the way.
While everyone gave it their all I feel the need to say an extra Thank You to Erik Sorenson, Paige and Kurt Wenger- Erik and Kurt manned the proof boxes that warmed the food while Paige did great as the runner- as she removed finished pans and reloaded with fresh batches And as the day ended we wrapped up, and while most of us never saw the faces of the people we fed, I think it is safe to say that at least for one day we helped a community enjoy the Holidays.
Mary Villamizar
I have to say that I’m not a morning person and to be there early in the morning it was already a challenge for me. When I got into the Flushing Salvation Army I found the GP drivers already unloading the truck and then I thought “well I guess somebody else had woke up earlier than me and is already working harder” that is when I took a deep breath and felt ready to be part of the team, a team that was there ready to help and ready to bring some joy to people than for one reason or another was going to share a Thanksgiving meal with a bunch of strangers that probably won’t see again in their lives.
Second person to arrive was Matthew with TWO coffees, one hot and one iced, he drank his hot coffee to start the morning and right away he started to work in the proofers, I had no idea that he had worked in the kitchen before he became the CTX master. Then is when part of me was relieved because there was one less task out of my checklist, “I had somebody in charge in the proofers”.
Few minutes later Mr. Camera walked in, Vincent, I remembered him like that because besides helping a lot he took his time to take pictures during the whole process. Later around 9-ish the rest of volunteers arrived and as they were coming I assigned each group to different tasks.
Seeing everybody together I felt stronger because I had a whole team working together for one cause. I felt very excited seeing a new team, people I never saw before in my live, people uniting powers and working together as if they knew each other for long time. I was standing behind the line when I saw a little kid walking with a tray with two pies and his father behind him watching it, they were from Goldman Sacs and I thought what a great father teaching his kid in such a young age to help others. That made feel me very emotional. I kept looking around and the only thing I saw was people running and working hard, giving smiles, serving meals, helping the elderly people find good seats, etc and most important thing to have a successful day. And that is what we had, a Successful Thanksgiving Day!!!!!!! I got to say I felt great!!!
Vicky Saldana
As a mother, I enjoyed the company of my kids, and felt very proud seeing them working together. The part that made me laugh is when I dropped the tray of string beans; it felt as if it was my first day working in the kitchen and the funny part is that the first thing I advised my kids was to be careful not to drop anything and it was me who end up making a mess.
Wendy Tay
Our Thanksgiving effort at Bay Ridge went really smoothly because of good organization and great volunteers.
When I arrived early that morning all the non-food supplies were there. The food delivery was on time, so were the kitchen volunteers. Ken was in charge front of the house and I know that also went well.
I couldn't have asked for a better kitchen staff - a real team effort. Everyone was willing and a self-starter, needing little instruction, pitching in immediately. They even helped setting sterno in the proofers, probably the most time-consuming part.
So a big "thank you" to all the volunteers and to Ken, and of course to Josh and Nhavan for making sure we had everything we needed.
Antulio Villasana
I just want to say that working on Thanksgiving Day was a great experience. To be part of the Great Performances voluntary employees, I was grateful and blessed to feed people that thanked you with a big smile in their face. Thanks for giving me this opportunity and great experience
Jesse Feldman
I had an amazing time volunteering with GP at the Jamaica Center location. It was great to see the caring, kind-hearted sides of everyone. (Sometimes living in NYC makes you forget people have those sides). And, selfishly, I got so much out of the volunteer experience: I spent the day meeting new people from every walk of life… and after the volunteer day ended, I spent the rest of the holiday hopping around the city with about ten of my brand new friends!
Eric Smith
Yes I did have a wonderful experience giving service to others Thanksgiving Day, it really put my own life in proper prospective. I am so really grateful to be a part of that crew.
Arielle Solow
At the Yonkers Salvation Army location, everyone was willing and eager to help. The location coordinators, local policemen and various volunteers were dedicated to making the day a sucess.
My experience was different from many who volunteer to help feed the homeless. As a back of house coordinator, my job anchored me in the kitchen tending to the food rather than the guests themselves. As I peaked out of the kitchen to watch our guests enjoy their meal the sense of accomplishment I felt was genuine, it set a new tone for my own evening of Thanksgiving with my family.
Lonnie Firestone
Staffing in Bed-Stuy was a great experience. The lunch sessions began with a slow stream of guests flowing past our kitchen and into the dining room. I had expected the visitors to look somewhat downtrodden, but many had dressed up for the occasion. Several women wore dresses and makeup. Families walked in together with wide smiles and warm dispositions. It felt like a holiday, an occasion. One couple whispered to us on their way in that it was their son’s 10-year old birthday. As they finished their meal, we, the volunteers, walked in singing “Happy Birthday,” displaying our “gifts” of pumpkin and apple pie.
As our shift progressed, more and more to-go meals were needed and our assembly line whipped into high-gear. There was an incredible adrenaline in the room, to be working so quickly and with a shared purpose. It was invigorating and so moving at the same time. Our volunteering was about more than feeding the hungry; it was about giving people the opportunity to celebrate a holiday.
Georgina Nichols
Thank you for including me. It was a simply wonderful, rewarding experience and Karen was a very good leader. I cannot think of a better way for me to thank the universe for my many blessings. Count me in for next year.
Bob Paul
My daughter and I didn’t know what to expect when we volunteered for the GP/Salvation Army Thanksgiving lunch. After it was over we were glad we had the chance to experience and participate in such a worthy event. It was overwhelming to see so many people there and know how much they appreciated all they received as well as the time and effort extended by those who were involved. It is something we will remember for quite a long time.
Marysella Castillo
This was a great experience for my friends and myself. Mary was our team leader and kept us busy and motivated. We enjoyed ourselves sharing cooking ideas with Matthew and Tony from GP. My little team of volunteers were giving Tony advice on how to cook his turkey with limited time. (He shared a very touching story about how he used to call his mom to ask her for cooking instructions, she passed away last year, making me think of my mom in Miami and bearing in mind the real reason for the holiday and not just the action of eating. He then invited us to his performance on December 10th) We worked from 9am to 3pm - time flew by. I loved the energy on the line. We sang, joked, laughed, tested our speed on scooping and teased the guys (Alex and Mauro) when they were slowing down the line. Please extend my thanks to those that cooked those meals, they did a great job!
