The feast will go on. The 40th annual Houston Thanksgiving Super Feast put on by the Citywide Club will take place as scheduled on Turkey Day at the George R. Brown Convention Center. This year, there were concerns about organizers having the funding to put on the massive event, which serves the homeless and less fortunate. But in the end, it all came together. "The doors will open at 10 a.m. and we'll go until the last person has been served," says Stephanie Lewis with Citywide Club.
The funding concerns arose due to the cost of renting the George R. Brown, combined with lower fundraising totals for Citywide Club during the past year. Despite charitable giving reaching an all-time high, much of the giving over the past year went to Hurricane Harvey-related causes, which took away money from other charitable organizations. "It is a struggle, but we are moving forward, and the Super Feast will open on Thursday, thanks to the support of the community," says Lewis.
Lewis tells KTRH organizers expect to serve upwards of 20,000 people at this year's event, requiring 4,000 to 5,000 volunteers. "There'll be much more than just the delicious hot meal," she says. "We'll also have food baskets, clothing, household items, warm jackets and coats, there'll be an opportunity for medical screenings, dental screenings, vision testing, free haircuts."
All of those meals and services will require a massive amount of food, supplies, and volunteers. Citywide Club is still in need of donations of turkey, ham, canned goods and non-perishable food items. You can also volunteer by signing up here. "The spots are filling up, so you need to do it rather quickly," says Lewis. "We're still receiving donations, because we will do this again on Christmas Eve."