TULSA, Okla. (KJRH) — Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and friends and to give thanks. But some people spend their Thanksgiving giving back to their community, such as those volunteering for Meals On Wheels.
It was all hustle and bustle Thursday morning at the Meals On Wheels of Metro Tulsa as more than 200 volunteers prepared to deliver more than 1,100 meals to the homebound in the community.
"These are hot meals," said Jay Betz, the president and CEO of Meals On Wheels of Metro Tulsa, "And that include turkey and dressing, a roll, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole — all the things that you'd expect for Thanksgiving."
"The volunteers are so special," he added. "It wouldn't happen without the volunteers."
Some of these volunteers come year in and year out and day in and day out.
Betz said they've been doing this Thanksgiving drive for over 30 years. He told us the logistics for this event are different from others that they run.
"So, we bring people in, in half-an-hour increments for a two-hour period," he explained. "And then they register, get a little bit of training on the app they'll use while they're at the location, to record the encounter, but also gives them directions and where they're gonna go. And so, they get four to six meals to deliver to the homebound."
But Betz emphasized that it's not just about the meals; it means so much more, especially to those who receive the meals.
"Some here today will be friends and family. So, it's a community event, it's a family event. [It's] time to get friends together to serve," he said. "And you're not only delivering a meal, you're delivering a conversation to people that otherwise wouldn't have a traditional Thanksgiving celebration."
If you or anybody else you know would be interested in volunteering for Meals On Wheels of Metro Tulsa, you can click here to check out the organization's details and instructions.
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