“So a traditional food bank will provide food that is uncooked and shelf stable,” said Gisela Bushey, CEO of Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen. “Our A La Carte [program] takes prepared food from partners that would normally send this food to the landfill or composting and we’re able to redistribute it out to the community to folks who would otherwise go to bed hungry.”

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, faith-based organizations in conjunction with community partners will be providing hot prepared meals for families in need of food assistance.

According to Loaves & Fishes, they will be extending its meal service and increasing meal capacity for residents in need of a hot meal on Thanksgiving Day.

Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen will be supplying hot meals for distribution at the Vietnamese Seventh Day Adventist Church on 1066 S 2nd St., San Jose, CA from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020.

CityTeam Ministries will also be providing a festive Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and a pumpkin pie for dessert.

The Vietnamese Seventh Day Adventist Church will be serving similar traditional faire, with a hot meal consisting of yams, stuffing, green beans with cranberry sauce and turkey.

San José residents in need of food assistance on Thanksgiving Day can access hot meals at the following locations:

“Helping people to not having to worry about what food they're going to eat this week, to be able to go for [job] interviews,” said Tamara Wheeler, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at CityTeam Ministries. “It really is in our kind of holistic continuum of care that we want to help our community.”

Residents should follow all social distancing protocols and wear a mask at all times. Upon arrival, food distribution sites may require that you stay inside your vehicles at all times.

For more information, visit Loaves & Fishes online at www.loavesfishes.org or by calling (408) 922-9085. For CityTeam Ministries, visit them online at www.cityteam.org or by calling (408) 232-5600. To find out how you can access food resources in your neighborhood, please visit bit.ly/SCCFoodMap.

You can also check out the most recent Silicon Valley Strong flyer for more information on Thanksgiving meal locations by visiting bit.ly/3m4mCOF. #SiliconValleyStrong #SJCares #KeepSJHealthy

Meals are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please plan ahead and allow for ample time to ensure meals are readily available upon your arrival.