Table set for holiday meal for the needy in Merced

An annual meal for those who may otherwise go without a traditional turkey dinner is set for the holiday.

The Thanksgiving Day meal will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the American Legion Hall, 939 W. Main St.

The meal is known to draw several hundred or even 1,000 diners, according to past tallies.

The Merced County Rescue Mission organizes the meal every year, but individual organizations pay for and collect much of the food. For example, last year, the Indo-American Punjabi Community of Merced pulled together the money that bought all of the turkey and the Prayer Warriors Motorcycle Ministry took care of the broccoli preparation, organizers said.

Phil Schmauss, the mission’s marketing director, said the meal has become a community event with multiple organizations pitching in. “The rescue mission acts as a bridge for those who have and those who do not have,” he said.

Some come to the hall on Thanksgiving because they are hungry, and others come because they don’t want to be alone. They come from different walks of life, including those who are homeless.

A January census organized by Continuum of Care, a coalition of homeless advocates and service providers, found 519 homeless people in Merced County.

The number of people on the streets, not including those in temporary housing, amounts to 356. The city of Merced had 218 people living on the streets, while Los Banos had 64. Dos Palos and South Dos Palos counted 41; Atwater and Winton tallied 28; and Le Grand recorded five, according to Continuum.

On top of the meal, which is served by hundreds of volunteers, people can pick through donated clothing. The mission organizes a similar event on Christmas Day.

This story was originally published November 22, 2016 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Table set for holiday meal for the needy in Merced."