Utah families carry on Thanksgiving tradition of serving others
Nov 28, 2024, 2:58 PM | Updated: 6:13 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — For many people across the Salt Lake Valley, Thanksgiving became a little bit happier this year when a hot meal showed up right at their door.
That’s thanks to volunteers who worked Thursday morning at The Salvation Army in Salt Lake City to prepare and deliver more than a thousand meals throughout the area.
Tyler Cline and his family manned the serving line. They have been doing this for 27 years.
“It’s become like the most beloved tradition we’ve had in our family,” Cline said. “This is the thing we look forward to more than anything else in the year.”
They spent Thursday dishing up turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, yams, and cranberry sauce. They even sang as they worked.
Kate Combs with The Salvation Army said the meals are delivered throughout Salt Lake County, and they make a difference on this holiday centered on food.
“To have a hot meal delivered to their door and a friendly stranger come and greet them means that they know that they’re cared about today,” Combs said.
Combs said the meals not only bring comfort to people, but they also fill a nutritional need.
“We are seeing an increased need in our services generally,” Combs said, noting that more families are visiting The Salvation Army’s food pantry. “I think there is a general increase of food insecurity, unfortunately.”
Once the Thanksgiving meals were served up, other volunteers loaded them into vehicles and set out to deliver them.
Fresh-cooked meals are loaded up and delivered throughout the community. (Mark Wetzel/KSL photographer)
That’s become a tradition for the Gomez family.
“I think the best part is just giving them a little bit of joy,” said Oscar Gomez after delivering several meals in West Valley City. “We can share a little bit with them and just have them enjoy that day a little better.”
The volunteer families planned to eventually go home and enjoy their own Thanksgiving dinners. But for them, the highlight of the holiday was the chance they had to serve.
“It’s not just about us,” Cline said, scooping out another helping of mashed potatoes. “It’s about other people.”
