Volunteers in Oakland spent the day giving back to the community Thursday.
Turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and, of course, entertainment -- all the makings of the 21st annual Thanksgiving event at Two Star Market on MacArthur Boulevard.
“It feels like being around family. You have the food, the music, the games and everything,” said Chala Oliver of Oakland.
It’s a Thanksgiving for those in need, including Tauline Johnson who goes every year. For her, it's not just about the resources, but the people.
“It helps me because I’m a clean and sober recovering alcoholic and at one time I was homeless,” she said. “It's very important to be surrounded just so that isolation will go away and that we would feel lonely.”
Over 100 volunteers help put on the event that feeds around 500 people. But it's not just one meal. Organizers give clothes, groceries, turkeys and hams away to help feed people for more than just a day.
For organizers, it has become a family tradition.
Local
“We had some deaths in our family and we just needed to do something different.” said organizer Aleja Rambonga. “The holidays meant something different to us. We needed to switch it up and they create such a positive community.”
“We want to give them everything they need, lives they don’t have,” said organizer Cynthia Rambonga.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
OPD’s two latest academies also volunteered for the 10th year in a row. Farouk, owner of Two Star Market, explained his father started the event to honor their Yemen roots of giving back during Ramadan.
“We took the opportunity to start this on the day of Thanksgiving to break bread,” he said. “We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but we celebrate the meaning of Thanksgiving which is to break bread, community, and coming together.”
Giving back, creating a community of family members looking out for each other.
“It means a lot,” said Oliver. “It is helping the community, it's helping people.”
