Event will have a different look to protect the health and safety of all
The Salvation Army, bringing the joy of the holidays to Arizonans
for more than 125 years, will provide Thanksgiving meals to neighbors in need on Thanksgiving
Day, Thursday, Nov. 26. Meals are free to the public while supplies last.
“The Salvation Army is extremely grateful to the City of Phoenix and Phoenix Convention Center
for working with us so we could still provide Thanksgiving meals to our most vulnerable,” said
Major David Yardley, The Salvation Army Metro Phoenix Program Coordinator. “This year has
been challenging in many ways, but with valued community partners and donors, The Salvation
Army has been able to meet the increased need spawned by the pandemic.”
The Army will be in its traditional location in the South Building of the Phoenix Convention Center
(southeast corner of Third Street and Washington Street), but things will look different, as
procedures will be put in place to maximize the health and safety of clients, officers, staff, and
volunteers.
There will be no sit-down dine-in option this year. This will be replaced with “Fast Track”
to-go meals. There will be two counters in the Convention Center’s South Building which
people can access through a socially-distance line to pick up a hot meal in a to-go container
before exiting the building.
Doors open at 10 a.m., and volunteers will be on hand to guide guests to the entrances.
Face coverings will be required of anyone coming inside; they will be provided for anyone
without. Salvation Army officers, volunteers and staff will all be wearing proper PPE, and
hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the building.
There will be a contactless drive-thru meal pickup option in the South Building loading
dock, on the east side of the building, off 5th St., beginning at 10 a.m.
With an increase in people spending the holiday at home this year due to the
pandemic, The Salvation Army expects to deliver more than 4,200 meals to our
homebound neighbors, and the Army is in desperate need of volunteers to drive their
own vehicles to deliver meals around the Valley. More than 75 slots are still available,
with two-hour shifts begin as early at 8:15 a.m. and as late as 11 a.m. Visit
SalvationArmyPhoenix.org and click on the Volunteer tab to sign up.
Between advance prep and Thanksgiving Day, around 600 volunteers will help make this
event happen.
In the spirit of health and safety, there will be no special activities such as haircuts, nail
service, live entertainment, etc., inside the Convention Center, as there have been in the
past.
“We all know that in today’s world, plans can change daily, even hourly, but we are praying that
this meal will happen as currently scheduled,” added Yardley.