Feeding The Masses Means More Than Feeding The Homeless In Bad Economy

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Story Published: Nov 27, 2009 at 10:09 AM PDT

By Sade Malloy

YAKIMA -- There are a lot of people looking for a meal this holiday. Union Gospel Mission estimates they'll serve more than 700 people over two days. Action News went to find out how they're dealing with larger than usual crowds with a smaller than usual budget.

A big part of Thanksgiving is being thankful for what you've got and for the people at the mission most are thankful they've got this thanksgiving meal.

On average the Union Gospel Mission in Yakima feeds 250 people for dinner.
On Thanksgiving that number shoots up. They're expecting to feed more than 375 people Thursday night and that's just one sitting.

"It's not just your low income and your homeless it's your mid-income people who are also hurting right now," says Rick Borland, Union Gospel Mission.

More people in need and more mouths to feed, means more food and more money. But the tight economy is hurting the Mission's budget so donations are down.

"I got laid off from where I was working and the place we were staying at was $165 a week for rent and we just didn't have enough on my last pay check to pay," says Roger Terry, living at U.G. Mission.

Terry and his soon to be wife Amanda Robertson are just two of the hundreds of new people using the Union Gospel Mission. Shelter officials tell me the number of people in need has grown by 11%.

Action News asks, "What have they done for you specifically?"
"Clothing, shelter, food, everything you can think of you can find right here," says Ermelinda Ortega, living at Union Gospel Mission.

Despite the lack of funds there's been no lack of food local donations have made up for this year's larger than usual need.

"7,500 pounds of food came in yesterday right at our door step right as we were serving," says Borland.

The financial donations might be down but locals are still giving and trying to make sure no one goes hungry this Thanksgiving.

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