Thanksgiving Meals for Needy Going on Schedule

A slumping economy won’t prevent thousands of Southern California homeless from enjoying a hearty Thanksgiving dinner, relief officials say. Most organizations say donations of cash, food and voluntary labor are as good or better than in previous years.

One agency, the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles, reported a slight decline in cash contributions, but an official said an upsurge in volunteers has helped to compensate. The mission plans to serve more than 5,000 meals Thanksgiving Day, said spokesman Ray McCann.

“A lot more people are donating their time, and that could be their way of making a donation instead of cash,” said McCann.

The Salvation Army was preparing 10,000 meals for the homeless and the elderly, said spokeswoman Tara Patty. The Los Angeles Mission, also downtown, planned to serve 5,000 meals on Wednesday to avoid duplication with the Rescue Mission, said spokeswoman Colleen Dickey.