It’s a Thanksgiving tradition on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, as the Union Gospel Mission hosts its annual turkey dinner.
And the amount of food is rather astonishing: 1,700 kilos of turkey, 1,500 pounds of potatoes, 800 pumpkin pies and 400 litres of ice cream.
UGM spokesperson Keela Keeping says 3,000 will be served to the needy on both the Downtown Eastside and the mission’s New Westminster location.
“We typically see that many people, so it’s just a flurry of activity the whole day as people are coming in and out, enjoying the live music, meeting with their friends, and having a great turkey meal with all the trimmings.”
The mission also serves meals at Christmas, and hosts a summer barbecue.