Shelter Prepares For Cold Weather & Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 20th 2007, 10:36 pm

By: News On 6

Tulsa homeless shelters are hitting their busiest time of year. Thanksgiving draws near and the weather is turning colder. The News On 6â€™s anchor Craig Day reports Tulsaâ€™s John 3:16 Mission is working to meet the needs of Tulsaâ€™s street people.

The John 3:16 Mission is a wonderful place where the homeless get hope, a kind word and a hot meal. Each year, the shelter hosts the Great Thanksgiving Banquet.

"It just cannot be allowed that we have everything and we don't do something about hunger in our own city,â€ said Rev. Steve Whitaker of John 3:16 Mission.

Rev. Steve Whitaker says with a city that has plenty, no one should go to bed hungry. So, the shelter helps the homeless and also families who have a place to stay, but often not enough to eat.

"These are people that, if they missed one paycheck, they're on the street. So to buy a Thanksgiving meal, that's just beyond their expectation. They don't have the money to buy a meal for Thanksgiving,â€ said Rev. Steve Whitaker.

John 3:16 has given out nearly 4,000 food baskets over two days. That has left the shelves bare and more turkeys and other food donations are needed.

"We need all the trimmings. We need yams. We need cranberries. We need potatoes. We need dressing. We need all the things that people would have for their Thanksgiving dinner,â€ said Rev. Steve Whitaker.

In addition to providing Thanksgiving meals, John 3:16 is also preparing for another mission: to provide a warm place to stay as temperatures are expected to get down to the 20's. Rev. Whitaker expects all of the beds to be filled.

"We'll do what we call search and rescue with John 3:16 which means we'll go out tonight and tomorrow with vehicles of our own, and encourage people to come into the shelter. Because this is dangerous cold, it's going to be dangerously cold,â€ said Rev. Steve Whitaker of John 3:16 Mission.

John 3:16 Mission has two locations where you can drop off donations at 506 North Cheyenne or at Under the Sun Garden Center at 91st and Sheridan or 51st and Harvard.

Learn More About The John 3:16 Mission.

Watch the video: John 3:16 Readies For Winter