Union Station Celebrates 50th Anniversary with ‘Dinner in the Park’ Thanksgiving Event Feeding Thousands

Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena marked its 50th anniversary with a “Dinner in the Park” Thanksgiving meal service for those in need on Wednesday at its headquarters on Raymond Ave., the first sit-down dinner the nonprofit has hosted since the onset of the pandemic.

“Dinner in the Park” is a beloved holiday tradition that started as a community potluck in Pasadena’s Central Park and grown over the years into a two-week event that serves over 4,500 meals. There are two such events yearly, one for Thanksgiving and a second at Christmas.

In 2020, the pandemic forced Union Station Homeless Services to adapt to no-contact food pickups and multiple weeks of giving.

Hungry residents arrived in batches Wednesday for the sitdown dinner beginning at noon, which was served for two hours on a clear, sunny afternoon with temperatures in the low 80s.

The meal Wednesday featured a menu of fresh baked turkey, corn, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and green beans, all prepared by the Union Station Homeless Services’ kitchen staff. 

Laborers Sergio Paniagua and Marco Hernandez expressed their gratitude for the meal. 

“This is better than anything,” said Paniagua, in Spanish. “We work, but everything is so expensive.”

The demand for these meals reflects a 9% increase in homelessness reported in Pasadena’s 2023 Homeless Count. 

Local companies donated meal box supplies, including 475 turkeys, 450 pies, 5,000 dinner rolls, and 500 boxes of mashed potato mix. A $30,000 grant from SoCal Gas helped fund the event.

Union Station Homeless Services will also host small, private dinners on Thanksgiving Day for residents living at various locations where the nonprofit provides its services, including Centennial Place, Huntington Villas, Casa Luna, the Eagle Rock Tiny Village, and the M Motel in El Monte.

With more than 2,000 people expected for the Wednesday event, Union Station had more than enough food on hand, but a spokesperson said that “Nothing gets wasted, everything is eaten.”  

Union Station Homeless Services is part of  Feeding America, a regional food bank, as well as a network of smaller food banks that are in touch with each other throughout the Thanksgiving weekend to help store, share, and distribute food. 

Local leaders, including Union Station CEO Anne Miskey, Mayor Victor Gordo, and Councilmember Tyron Hampton, have noted the growing need for food events in recent years due to rising prices.

“We all need to do whatever we can to help each other,” Hampton said at his own turkey giveaway event on Monday.