The Blessing Corner Ministries holds a free Thanksgiving dinner every year in Bakersfield and volunteers are back at it again this 2018.
“We’ve been doing this for this community for 20 years, we serve them Thanksgiving day dinner. Last year we served a little bit over 800 including the seniors that we distributed to,” Pastor Bonnie Gillette-Turner of the Blessing Corner Ministries said.
For the last two weeks Pastor Bonnie and her team of volunteers at the Blessing Corner have been accepting food donations from the community to feed the mouths of Kern County. Volunteers have also been prepping nearly 40 hams, 40 turkeys and more than 300 pounds of yams for Thursday’s dinner.
Pastor Bonnie said she chooses to spend Thanksgiving this way because she knows many people in her community need her too,“Because we have been doing it for so long families expect us to be there for them and we don’t want to seem like we are encouraging these people, but if a family is in a need we want to be there for them.”
However, there are still a few things the blessing corner needs to make the community Thanksgiving dinner happen, “We’re only plotting for about 800 people so yea we could still use about another 15 turkeys.” Bonnie also said she could use some disposable aprons and gloves for volunteers to serve people.
The Blessing Corner is not just taking care of Kern County’s appetite, volunteers are also still gathering up donations from the community to help make life a little easier on those in need during the holidays and winter months, “All types of warm clothing, socks preferably new but socks and hygiene items for this community, sleeping bags, warm blankets, you know jackets doesn't have to be new you know, gently used without any holes would be best,” Bonnie said.
The blessing corner also holds free Christmas dinner for the community each year and its still on schedule to take place this December. Volunteers are still accepting turkey’s until Thanksgiving day and to make a monetary donation, head to the blessing corner’s website.
