Bay Area Rescue Mission makes Thanksgiving possible for hundreds of Richmond families

Festive music and welcoming smiles filled the parking lot of the Bay Area Rescue Mission’s food distribution center in Richmond Tuesday, where hundreds of people gathered under a gray sky for the annual turkey giveaway. 

The Rescue Mission, which provides emergency shelter, fresh meals, warm clothing, and support services to the unhoused and those in need, has upheld this  Thanksgiving tradition for over 40 years. Bram Begonia, CEO of the Rescue Mission, said between 500 and 1,000 families would get turkey and all of the ingredients for a full Thanksgiving meal — 500 people pre-registered for the distribution, however, hundreds more were expected. 

“This area in particular faces a lot of food insecurity. So we see a lot of new families of every race and age. We’re seeing younger families and a lot of seniors, which is new for us,” Begonia said.   

Over 40 volunteers from Chevron, El Cerrito High School, and UC Berkeley as well as others came to pack and distribute the food. They were greeted with smiles and wishes for happy holidays, said Jay Loyd, a volunteer from Chevron. “You can see that the work we are doing is helping people have a great holiday and a better life,” he said. 

The event was funded by individual and corporate donors, including Chevron, as well as churches.

More than 100,000 Contra Costa County residents were considered food insecure in 2022, according to Feeding America, which runs a nationwide network of food banks. That means they were unable to access sufficient, nutritious food daily. The need is there, as evidenced by the queue that formed outside the Rescue Mission on Macdonald Avenue during the giveaway.

“The community looks forward to this event every year,” said Rose Russell, program director at the Rescue Mission’s Center for Women and Children. “By August, we’re already getting calls from people asking if we are doing the turkey giveaway.” 

Ofelia Vega found out about the giveaway on Facebook. Without it, she said, her family wouldn’t have a turkey. “It’s good because lots of people are going to be able to have turkey dinners with their family now in these hard times that we’re having,” she said.   

The Rescue Mission’s culinary team, which includes formerly unhoused trainee chefs,  is also serving free Thanksgiving dinners this week from Monday through Thursday this week, 4 to 6 p.m. All are welcome. 

PHOTO GALLERY: Christmas spirit in Richmond, with lights, songs and a Santa who rides a fire truck