Holiday meal fills bellies and The Salvation Army’s coffers

Francisco Rodriguez and Darlene Arguelles said because they are homeless, they often are treated rudely and without respect.

But the couple said they felt welcome and accepted Thursday at the annual Thanks-For-Giving meal at Modesto Centre Plaza. They were among the roughly 800 guests who ate a turkey meal with all the trimmings.

The couple ate from heaping plates and enjoyed friendly conversation with the other guests at their table, whom they had just met. The guests dined from real plates, using real silverware. Volunteers hustled to bring in trays loaded with plates of food to serve the guests.

“This is delicious,” Rodriguez said about his meal of turkey, stuffing, corn and green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy. There also were rolls and butter, and milk and soda, and pumpkin pie was coming up.

Modesto entrepreneur and civic leader Dan Costa started the dinner in the early 1980s. The Costa Family Foundation pays for putting on the meal. The event also is a fundraiser for The Salvation Army, which helps with it. Costa’s wife, Denise, is a Salvation Army board member.

Dan Costa said Wednesday that the community had donated more than $50,000. He said the foundation would match those contributions dollar for dollar. He said the amount raised this year is a record.

The meal is for the entire community, and not everyone who ate Thursday was homeless. Plenty of families with children were seated at the tables.

Modesto resident Angela Arenas was among a dozen family members and a family friend waiting in line at Centre Plaza before the meal was served. She said Thanks-For-Giving would let her extended family share Thanksgiving together. There also was an added bonus: “You don’t have to cook or clean up no mess,” she said, while laughing.

The Salvation Army brought its canteen and served coffee and hot chocolate to those in line. And Christmas music poured from two speakers. A photographer took free family portraits, and there were games for children.

Modesto Centre Plaza was not the only place in Stanislaus County on Thursday where people could have their bellies filled and spirits lifted.

For instance, the Spirit of Oakdale Committee expected as many as 1,200 people to eat lunch at the Gene Bianchi Community Center. Volunteers also were expected to deliver meals to about 100 shut-ins and to the roughly dozen homeless families living at Woodward Reservoir.

And Turlock’s La Mo Cafe expected to serve lunch to 125 homeless people, according to Turlock Gospel Mission Executive Director Christian Curby. The mission expected to serve dinner to as many as 80 people.

This story was originally published November 24, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Holiday meal fills bellies and The Salvation Army’s coffers."