Ventura County Rescue Mission serves up hundreds of Thanksgiving meals

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) The Ventura County Rescue Mission held its annual Thanksgiving Banquet on the day before the holiday.

Countless volunteers including children helped serve more than 300 meals at their E. 6th St. location

Some people ate at picnic tables outside in the hot sun while others dined indoors beneath decorative surfboards.

Chevelle Ramirez enjoyed it.

"This meal means a lot to me just because I haven't had, I am not going to have a normal Thanksgiving this year so just eating here with everyone and people at the shelter this is really nice, a nice home cooked meal so I could only be blessed," said Ramirez.

Sal Rodriguez who works at the Rescue Mission brought his wife Monica and their children Savannah, 9, and Salvador, 7 to help serve.

"I am so proud of my kids, they love serving the homeless community, it is something they have ben doing since they were 3 and 5 years old," said Monica Rodriguez, " They just love doing it, it brings joy to them."

"We are super proud of them, this time of year they know that they are going to be helping someone in need, I told them this morning that your are going to be literally the hands of God, they are going to be used to help those that are hungry, those that are hurting, those that are lost and they love what they do," said Sal Rodriguez.

Most of the guests are experiencing homelessness or are in the Rescue Mission Alliance programs.

Kitchen workers also packed up meals to go.

The Bargain Center Thrift Store off Harrison Ave, has been taken donations to cover meals this Fall.

For more information visit https://vcrescuemission.org