CORPUS CHRISIT, Tx — For the seventh consecutive year, T&A's Auto Services is preparing to serve free hot Thanksgiving meals to the Corpus Christi community. Still, they need local businesses and residents to help make it happen.
The 7th Annual Thanksgiving Day Gathering will take place around 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at T&A's Auto Services, located at 602 S Staples St. The event has grown significantly since it began in 2018, with last year's gathering serving over 300 plates featuring 35 whole turkeys with all the fixings.
"We started 7 years ago, and it was right around the time when we started seeing a lot of homeless people coming through here. I had already been here for a few years, and I started seeing a lot of people coming through and realized that there aren't many places that feed actually on Thanksgiving Day itself, so we came up with the idea. You know what, let's barbecue and let's see if we can feed the neighborhood and the community," said Antonio Cortez, Owner of T&A's Auto Services.
Cortez says he sees people from all walks of life at the Thanksgiving dinner.
"We don't turn anybody away. We got it, we're gonna give it," said Cortez.
Cortez says he and his family and friends work together to serve the community's people.
"They love it. They're the ones that actually are on me and say, 'Are we gonna do it the next year? We're gonna do it the next year.' And just as long as God gives us the ability, we're gonna keep doing it," added Cortez.
Each Turkey Plate includes turkey with all the traditional sides, a drink, and dessert. Meals are available to-go, and the venue also provides tables and seating for families who want to dine together.
If you would like to donate supplies for this year's turkey dinner, you can drop them off at T&A's Auto Shop, 602 S Staples St., Corpus Christi, TX 78401. Organizers say they can also pick up any donations if needed, just call the office at 361-850-7183.
Donations needed are of the following:
*Sodas in Cans/Bottles
*Cases of Water Bottles
*Any type of Sides (boxes of mashed potatoes, bags of potatoes, cans of green beans/corn, boxes of stuffing)
*Packaged utensils
*Firewood
