The Gobbler Gathering

0

The Gobbler Gathering this year will serve as the Evansville Rescue Mission’s 96th annual Thanksgiving food basket giveaway for Tri-State families, which will be held at the Old National Events Plaza (715 Locust Street, Evansville, IN 47708) for the second consecutive year.

At Tuesday’s Gobbler Gathering, thousands of folks will visit the Old National Events Plaza as a food basket recipient, a Mission staff or Board Director, a community volunteer, or as a curious bystander. 

The Evansville Rescue Mission is expecting more than 1,750 Tri-State families who will be attending one of five distribution services (which will be held at 10 a.m., Noon, 2, 4, and 6 p.m.) to hear a message of hope and receive a food basket filled with Thanksgiving-themed items such as; a frozen 10-13 pound turkey, bagged potatoes, bagged onions, fresh celery, flour, corn meal, a loaf of bread, canned corn/green beans/peas/chicken broth/yams/cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, cake mix, Jiffy cornbread mix, and macaroni & cheese.

 

With the help of community volunteers and Evansville’s TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, the Rescue Mission will deliver nearly 500 grocery bags of food to neighboring downtown Evansville apartment communities such as Kennedy & Buckner Towers, Liberty Terrace Apartments, Horizon Homes, Lucas Place II, and Vision 1505.

 

That being said, the Evansville Rescue Mission is anticipating being able to fully assist a total of approximately 2,203 Tri-State families for this year’s Gobbler Gathering.

 

The Gobbler Gathering; however, would not be a success without the help of our tremendous 1,000 community volunteers. These volunteers are scheduled with assisting Rescue Mission staff with registration, transfer food from our pallets into baskets, or lend a helping hand toward our food basket recipients. We are very grateful for all of those who are willing to give their time to help us on this wonderful day.

 

More than 200 Tri-State churches, schools, businesses, and families donated an assigned food item or a needed service to ensure the 96th annual Gobbler Gathering can take place.

In addition to distributing food, community volunteers will be handing out coats and accessories to any child who may be in need of warmer clothing on Gobbler Gathering day in lieu of the Evansville Rescue Mission’s “Coats For Kiddos” program.

Tracy Gorman, Evansville Rescue Mission’s President/CEO, states, “The Gobbler Gathering at your Evansville Rescue Mission is one of our favorite days of the year because of the sheer number of individuals and families we have the opportunity to help through this event. Our staff works on this event literally all year long, and we put a lot of effort into it because we know what a blessing this day is to so many. We’re so grateful for the donors, volunteers, staff members, and everyone else who make this incredible day possible for the people of our community.”

It should be noted that we are still in need of canned yams (14 ounces), children’s coats and winter accessories for both boys and girls (sizes infant on up). Please send donations to your Evansville Rescue Mission’s main campus tonight until 9 pm or the Old National Events Plaza tomorrow from 8 am to 6pm.

Your Evansville Rescue Mission gladly accepts monetary donations for the Gobbler Gathering.  Gobbler Gathering contributions can be mailed to ERM at 500 E. Walnut St., Evansville, IN 47713 or by visiting our website, www.evansvillerescuemission.org.Â