Community Thanksgiving meal in 12th year

link Staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Michelle Armijo of the Lighthouse Mission chops celery for stuffing to be served Thursday at the mission. Armijo has helped with all 12 meals for the mission, which expects to serve about 500 this year between on-site meals and deliveries.

Staff writer

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Even if there’s no place to go for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Clovis and Portales both still offer a place to go.

Whether it’s to help the homeless, hang out with friends and family or just help out, a pair of lunchtime meals are a constant in the area, with the Portales Community Thanksgiving and the Lighthouse Mission Thanksgiving celebration set for lunch time with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, drinks and dessert.

The Portales meal will be held at the Memorial Building from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., while the Lighthouse Mission will serve 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., if not earlier.

“At 11 is when we say it will start because we know we’ll have the food ready,” said Richard Gomez, executive director of the Lighthouse Mission. “But we’ll serve early if there’s a line and all of the food is above 160 degrees ... except the pumpkin pie.”

This will be the 12th time the Lighthouse has done the meal in Clovis, said Gomez, who noted that the meal started when the charitable organization first got its building at L Casillas Boulevard 11 years prior.

In Portales, the effort had its roots in outreach missions with St. Helen Catholic Church and Central Christian church, and the meal is now in its 12th year as a volunteer effort.

Combined, the organizations expect to serve anywhere between 800 and 1,000 meals, equally spread out between service on-site and meals delivered to shut-in residents.

“That’s what we’re doing this for, to make sure no one goes without,” said Veda Urioste, a longtime volunteer with the Portales meal.

Urioste said the meal, with anywhere from 25 to 30 turkeys prepared on-site and off-site by volunteers, serves anybody from college students without other plans to people just there to socialize before having their own meal later in the night. Usually, about two dozen people volunteer, whether it’s showing up at 8 a.m. to help set up, playing music or getting behind a table to serve.

“We’re still getting calls for people asking to help us, which is great,” Urioste said. “We’ll take any help, of course. Cannon usually comes out and does a good job.”

At the Lighthouse, there will be 30 turkeys cooked and dozens of volunteers to help wherever needed.

“We’ve had a lot of calls,” Gomez said, “and we usually have more volunteers (than we need). We’d rather have more than not enough.”

To volunteer or request a meal delivery:

• Portales: Veda Urioste, 575-356-6662, or Joe Perry, 575-607-5927

• Clovis: Richard Gomez, 799-0902