The Thanksgiving holiday spirit is alive and well and no other place better exemplifies this than the Salvation Army Austin Corps.

Saturday, November 20, 1999

The Thanksgiving holiday spirit is alive and well and no other place better exemplifies this than the Salvation Army Austin Corps.

"You should have been here Friday," said Lori Espe, volunteer coordinator for the Salvation Army. "It was just an incredible sight. People were coming it with turkeys and pies and other things and saying ‘Give this to somebody who needs it on Thanksgiving Day’."

"I think some of those people are those who have been there," said Capt. Doug Yech, officer in charge. "They know what it’s like to go hungry and they’ve been helped before and now they want to give back and help others."

This week, the Salvation Army Austin Corps will be working feverishly to distribute 190 food baskets to needy families before Thursday’s holiday arrives. The Salvation Army staff will start packing the food baskets 9 a.m. Monday and volunteers are needed. The work should last until noon Monday, according to Espe.

Then, the distribution takes place Tuesday at the Salvation Army community center in two increments: 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Eligible adults will collect their food baskets at the center, where volunteers are also welcome to help.

Virginia Vos, an intern, has been filling in for Debbie Stahl, who is home on maternity leave, and doing a "fantastic job," according to Espe, in certifying the eligibility of families for food baskets.

The food baskets will contain all the necessary ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving holiday dinner, including Jennie-O turkeys thanks to another major donation by Hormel Foods Corporation. "They help us in so many ways so often and this year they have donated the turkeys early to help make our task easier," Espe said.

Who will receive the food baskets?

"They range from families of one to families of 12," said Espe.

When Thursday arrives, a community dinner will be served noon to 1:30 p.m., featuring Sherry Whalen’s cooking. Volunteers are also welcome to attend and assist in serving or cleanup, according to Espe.

Anyone interested in participating in the community dinner Thursday is asked to call in advance (437-4566) to ensure enough food is available for all.

Crane Community Chapel of Austin and First United Methodist Church made donations last week in anticipation of the need to fill the food baskets.

Espe also reports, "We’re getting more calls from people and organizations interested in helping stock the emergency food pantry. That’s good, because right after Thanksgiv-ing, we’ll have the Christmas food basket distribution."

On that subject both Espe, whose job it is is to recruit volunteers, and Yech said more volunteers are needed for Christmas holiday events, such as an Angel Tree at Target Store in Austin and bell ringing to fill the red kettles outside nine different Austin businesses. Again, volunteers are asked to call the Salvation Army and schedule a time to fill the vacancies that currently exist in scheduling the Christmas events.

Espe also worries about having enough "coats for kids" to fill the number of requests that keep coming to the Salvation Army.

If all this sound, at least, semi-chaotic, it is, but that’s the way it always is at the place famous around the world for helping others.

"One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is the self-satisfaction you receive in helping others," said Yech. "On Thanksgiving Day, that means food and making people feel good about themselves. Nobody should spend Thanksgiving Day home alone."

With the growth in popularity of Halloween in late-October and the always early retail reminders of Christmas in December, the Thanksgiving holiday may be threatened by being over-looked.

"Not so," said Yech, who has two favorite blessings to recommend all give thanks for enjoying.

"When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of our forefathers, who went through so much for their personal and religious freedoms, that they would risk their lives and cross an ocean to go to a new country," he said. "They did that to make the world better for their children and their children’s children."

"The second reason we all should not forget Thanksgiving, in my opinion, is that we have the blessing of our men and women in the military to remember and thank God for," he said. "We can’t afford not to think about these men and women who gave their lives, limbs and sanity to fight wars for this country."

While Yeck and Espe remain optimistic that all needs will be met through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays at the year’s end, there is one concern.

"My concern is what is subsequent to the holidays," said Yech. "People are willing to help others during the holidays, but if this need for food and other things continues, we may have to cut back later. We shouldn’t forget that."