Local Mission Calls On Community To Help Feed The Hungry

The folks at John 3:16 want to offer a holiday meal for the homeless, but there's lots of work to do as time is quickly running out.

Volunteers were loading frozen turkeys into a big walk-in freezer at John 3:16 Mission, Thursday and others were getting the rest of their Thanksgiving baskets ready.

This close to the holiday, the freezer should almost be full.

"It's usually boxed all the way to the ceiling; we're just behind this year. Besides the turkeys, we need the canned good to go with it," said Reverend Steve Whitaker.

Now you may be saying to yourself, don't we do this same thing every year? For the last couple of years the answer is yes. Farther back than that not as often. Something seems to have changed.

"Thanksgiving doesn't get the attention, culturally, that it used to," Whitaker said.

That makes gathering the goods for the thousands of Thanksgiving food baskets that much more difficult; and the food's more expensive which increases the need.

"Turkeys cost more, the baskets cost more, it's just a bridge too far for them. They just can't make it," Whitaker said.

He said they have regular clients who get food distributions every day. That number, plus those special holiday clients, he figures the number of food baskets they'll give out next week will be around 5,000.

They need lots of help to get to that number.

If you'd like to help, you can drop off food donations for John 3:16 at the following locations:

• Sam's at 41st and Sheridan
• Reasor's in Jenks
• Reasor's at 71st and Sheridan
• Reasor's at 71st and Lynn Lane, Broken Arrow
• Reasor's at 101st and Elm, Broken Arrow