Salvation Army Volunteers – Some Wearing Badges – Deliver Hot Thanksgiving Meals, Warm Conversation to the Hungry and the Lonely

Dozens of Salvation Army volunteers — including a large contingent of Pasadena police officers and their family members — spent Thanksgiving morning helping the lonely and the hungry throughout Pasadena.

“Our supporters … could be home with their families, but they found that it was more important to go over and above their personal desires and to come and serve the community,” said a grateful and proud Captain Terry Masango of the Salvation Army’s Pasadena Tabernacle, at 960 East Walnut Street.

Dozens of volunteers, also including a number of high school students sponsored by the Pasadena Host Lions Club, spent the morning preparing meals to be delivered to Pasadena homes and apartments and for 400 guests who arrived to full-laden tables at 11:30 a.m.

“We also thought of those who are homebound, because of health problems, those who are lonely, those who are homeless, and we felt that it’s important to provide a meal for them,” Masango said. “We are very excited that we have a community that supports the Salvation Army. We have a ton of volunteers here today, who are here to drive and will be cooking and preparing and serving and cleaning up afterwards.”

“It’s very busy this morning, hundreds of needy families in Pasadena will be receiving Thanksgiving fruit gift baskets so they can enjoy the Holiday season,” Pasadena police Lt. Vasken Gourdikian said over the background kitchen noise. “I’m proud to say that 31 of our officers and their families are out here delivering to very needy families.”
Lt. Tracey Ibarra wouldn’t spend her Thanksgiving morning any other way.

“I’ve been doing this myself for over 20 years, I’ve had my young boys with me, and now I have my young daughter,” she said. “We’re continuing this as a tradition with the Police department.”

“So we are very grateful,” Masango said, as volunteers bustled around him.