News

As many people across the country get ready to have their fill of turkey and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, there are those in Berkeley who are not as fortunate.

The city of Berkeley and many local organizations have a history of helping those less fortunate through various fundraisers, donation drives and community outreach programs.

Berkeley Police Department has hosted the annual Turkey Ride since 1983. Participants ride bicycles to raise money for Thanksgiving food baskets for local families. The baskets are filled with enough food to feed eight people and contain a turkey, fresh produce and canned food, said officer Jennifer Coats. On Tuesday, 250 food baskets will be assembled by community members and members of BPD and UCPD in front of the Ronald Tsukamoto Public Safety Building.

“Those families are nominated by beat officers, park enforcement officers and other community members to receive the baskets,” Coats said.

About 21,400 Berkeley residents, or 19 percent of the population, are living below the poverty line, according to the 2010 U.S. census. This means thousands of residents are unable to afford a Thanksgiving dinner.

The Berkeley Food and Housing Project — located at 2362 Bancroft Way — also puts on a free Thanksgiving Day meal for community members, along with its annual holiday food drive.

“We’ve been doing it at least for the last 20 years,” said Jim Huntley, the agency’s director of development. “We’re distributing 65 food boxes this Thanksgiving, which includes everything like a frozen turkey or chicken.”

The organization already has enough donations to give out 23 boxes of food, but it still lacks enough to make 42 more. Executive Director Terrie Light said the organization remains optimistic that it will eventually reach its goal.

“In the past, people have jumped in really early, and we’ve always had plenty of what we needed,” she said. “But I’m optimistic we’ll have what we need.”

Light said the agency’s Thanksgiving meal is the only one she knows of in the city that hosts dinner on the day of the holiday and can feed up to 400 people. The meal is open to all people regardless of their background, she said.

“We’re serving a hot meal where people come in, sit down and get served on Thanksgiving itself,” she said. “We don’t ask people why they are here — whoever shows up, we’ll be feeding them that day.”