Mission: Turkey Sandwich ensures everyone has a Thanksgiving meal

(ABC 6 News) – Thursday morning, members of the People of Hope parish in Rochester wanted to make sure that everyone felt love on Thanksgiving with a holiday meal.

While many spend Thanksgiving day at home with their families, others have to work. Because they are at work, many may not get that holiday meal. That’s when the idea for Mission: Turkey Sandwich was born 10 years ago.

Volunteers and community members spent the morning preparing holiday lunches to deliver to businesses around the Rochester that stayed open Thursday.

“We’re just a congregation about spreading love and we just want people to know that they are loved and valued and that we’re really thankful for what they do,” explained Dan Doering, the Pastor at People of Hope. “It’s really great to see peoples faces when they know that folks are thinking about them.”

Families, volunteers and even the Century / John Marshall hockey team showed up to make a difference.

“This is a better chance for us to get out into the community and help with people that have to work on Thanksgiving,” explained Mylee, a player on the hockey team. “Because they may not get a chance to be with their families, cause they may have to work late and they may not get that chance. So I think this may help.”

One of the businesses receiving meals was Rochester’s Emergency Veterinary Service.

A family that helped assemble lunches decided to bring the meals to veterinary employees who stayed open Thursday.

“It’s wonderful. It’s so nice of people to think of us in the community we’re happy to be here and provide care for pets on a day when everybody else is off,” said Lauren Dinsmore, a veterinarian working at EVS. “So yeah, super grateful. It was unexpected but definitely very nice.”

Volunteers a part of Mission: Turkey Sandwich say they just want to make a difference in someone’s day.