Thanksgiving celebrations in this pandemic year will be unlike any other.
Instead of get togethers with dozens of extended family members, braving crowded airports or a dinner out, Coloradans are being encouraged to stay home and gather only with members of their households.
The OUR Center’s annual meal — which was held last year at the nonprofit’s cafe after a long stretch at the now-closed Old Chicago — also is a casualty of COVID. But those who rely on the meal can grab a holiday dinner to go from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the nonprofit, 220 Collyer St. Anyone who needs a meal can stop by, but the OUR Center asks that all who will be receiving the meal are present.
For those who might not be able to take a meal home, homeless outreach nonprofit HOPE for Longmont will be offering a sit-down holiday meal at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Faithpoint Church, 833 15th Ave. Social distancing will be in place and there might be a wait depending on the number of people in the church’s gym.
A number of other efforts this week and last also aimed to ensure meals are still part of the celebration.
The Longmont Scouts Turkey Turnout, which accepts food, winter clothes and toiletries for those in need, collected donations on Saturday with the goal of netting 10,000 pounds of food for the OUR Center, winter clothes and toiletries for HOPE, and 100 recycled bicycles for Bicycle Longmont’s Kids Holiday Bike program.
On Tuesday, the food pantry at Westview Presbyterian Church provided 524 food boxes to families at its drive-up location. A turkey or ham was included in every food box.
Turkey donations also were accepted through Tuesday at Longmont’s Wing Shack for donation to the OUR Center.
