Evansville Rescue Mission’s 94th annual Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway
This year’s Gobbler Gathering will serve as the Evansville Rescue Mission’s 94th annual Thanksgiving food basket giveaway for families in need which will be held at ERM’s main campus at 500 East Walnut Street on Tuesday, November 22nd.
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 1,800 Tri-State families in need will be attending one of seven distribution services (which will be held at 10 and 11:30 a.m., 1, 2:30, 4, 5:30 and 7 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, the Mission will deliver 382 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 Aurora.
That being said, ERM is fully anticipating being able to assist a total of 2,201 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 700 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 250 Tri-State churches, schools, businesses and families donated an assigned food item or a needed service to ensure the 94th 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, “Every year when we host the Gobbler Gathering, we are reminded of the incredible privilege we have to make a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens in this area. Many will go home with the only food they will have for their Thanksgiving dinner. The opportunity to be a blessing is one that we take seriously, and it is one that we cherish. We’re so grateful to those throughout the region who give food and money, as well as their time and prayers, to make this event possible.”
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.
