Santa Barbara Rescue Mission Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive
SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission is accepting turkeys, canned food, and monetary donations in preparation for its annual Thanksgiving Feast on Wednesday, November 25, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The Rescue Mission will deviate from its long-held tradition of including volunteers due to its adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. The staff and men in the Mission’s 12-month Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program plan to serve over 300 meals to community members in need. This socially distanced yet festive celebration will be held in their dining hall located at 535 East Yanonali Street.
The turkeys are prepared and cooked in advance. The Thanksgiving dinner will include turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, pie, and all the trimmings. Approximately 300 turkeys are needed for all of the meals that will be served throughout the holiday season.
Rolf Geyling shared, “This Thanksgiving is going to be extra challenging for us because of the pandemic and ongoing restrictions. We are planning to provide thousands of meals needed this holiday season-including 300 just for Thanksgiving alone.”
Donations may be dropped off Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Yanonali Street office.
About Santa Barbara Rescue Mission
This 501(c)(3) organization has served the county and city of Santa Barbara for 55 years, providing emergency services and long-term recovery for the homeless and addicted. With 94 beds for men and 34 for women, it is the only emergency shelter open 365 nights of the year from Santa Maria to Ventura. In a typical year, the Mission provides over 140,000 meals and more than 50,000 safe nights of shelter for individuals with no place else to turn. The Mission’s 12-month residential recovery program aims to bring individuals from decades of addiction, institutionalization, and homelessness back to sobriety, health, and wholeness. Certification through the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs ensures that participants receive the highest standard of treatment in a non-medical facility. The Mission receives no government funding.
