Holiday Meals Planned for the Homeless

Volunteers, organizations and families will offer Thanksgiving meals to San Diego’s homeless and lonely today and Thanksgiving Day.

Life Ministries, downtown’s rescue mission, will serve its 32nd annual Thanksgiving dinner today. Mission director Jim Flohr said the 1:30 p.m. dinner the day before the holiday allows the homeless to take advantage of “two festive meals. There are so many places feeding on Thursday, we want the needy to benefit doubly,” he said.

Today’s dinner, preceded by a New Gospel Tabernacle musical group performance, will feature homemade pies baked by volunteers and 700 pounds of turkey prepared by mission cooks at 1150 J St.

The St. Vincent de Paul Center and the San Diego Catholic Worker will serve a dinner today--and a Thanksgiving breakfast on Thursday. The dinner of turkey, ham, vegetables and dessert will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Didacus Kitchen, 343 16th St.

A breakfast of pancakes, eggs and sausage will be served at the kitchen from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Men and women in the military service who are away from home are invited to spend Thanksgiving with area families. There are more families offering dinner than military personnel accepting, Marty Archacki, military program director at the Armed Forces YMCA, said. He said servicemen and women interested in the Home Hospitality Program should call the YMCA. So far, about 440 men and women have been matched with families for the holiday.

The YMCA will also serve a buffet dinner at 500 W. Broadway at 4 p.m. Thursday.

At Golden Hall, 202 C St., the Salvation Army will offer its 11th annual Thanksgiving dinner to an estimated 1,800 people. About 400 people have volunteered to help provide the meal, funded by area businesses and the Kroc Foundation. The dinner will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.