Evansville Rescue Mission To Hold 95th Annual Gobbler Gathering at the Old National Events Plaza

his year’s Gobbler Gathering will serve as the Evansville Rescue Mission’s 95^th annual Thanksgiving food basket giveaway for Tri-State families and will take place at the Old National Events Plaza (715 Locust Street, Evansville, IN 47708) for the first time ever.

At Tuesday’s Gobbler Gathering, literally thousands of folks will visit the Rescue Mission’s main campus as a food basket recipient, a Mission staff or Board member, a community volunteer, or as a curious bystander. 

ERM is fully anticipating  that more than 1,700 Tri-State families 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; particularly, 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, egg noodles and macaroni & cheese.

 

Additionally, with the help of community volunteers and Evansville’s TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, the Mission will deliver 358 grocery sacks of Thanksgiving-themed 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, ERM is fully anticipating being able to assist a total of 2,202 Tri-State families (an organizational record) for this year’s Gobbler Gathering.

 

Of course, Gobbler Gathering Day will not be a success without the help of more than 1,200 scheduled community volunteers who will either assist Rescue Mission staff with registration, transfer food from our pallets into baskets, or lend a helping hand toward our food basket recipients.

 

More than 200 Tri-State churches, schools, businesses and families donated an assigned food item or a needed service to ensure the 95^th annual Gobbler Gathering can take place.

In addition to distributing food, community volunteers will be handing out coats and accessories to any children 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 is one of our favorite days of the year, because it literally is a day that would not be possible without the kindness and generosity of our great friends throughout the Tri-State. As we gather with over one thousand volunteers to assist a record number of families, we’re again reminded of how blessed we are to be a part of this community.”

The 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. 

For additional information on the Evansville Rescue Mission’s annual Gobbler Gathering, please contact Chris-Michael G. Morrison at 812.962.6701 or at chris.morrison@ermstaff.org.