Columbia, S.C. - It’s as natural as turkey and dressing to want to be home for Thanksgiving. But many residents of Columbia don’t have a home to go to. Others have been estranged from their families and loved ones and risk spending the holiday hungry and alone.
That’s why Oliver Gospel is asking for the community’s support of their annual Thanksgiving outreach.
“Thanksgiving is a family holiday,” said Executive Director, Travis McNeal. “We consider homeless and needy people to be our family and will treat them as our honored guests.”
This Thanksgiving day, the Mission will serve more than 200 meals to the homeless in their shelters, to residents of their long-term recovery programs, and to families and individuals from the community who struggle with daily essentials and don’t have the means for a special holiday meal.
It costs the Mission $2.17 to provide one meal for someone who is hungry for food, family, fellowship and hope. With a gift of $10.85, the Mission can set a place for 5 hungry people at their Thanksgiving table. A donation of $26.04 will allow the Mission to provide food and other vital care for 12 people now and into the months ahead.
“Through your outpouring of generosity and compassion, you can be ‘family’ for hurting men, women and children,” McNeal says to Oliver Gospel’s friends and partners – and others who may be seeking an opportunity to help their neighbors in need for the very first time. “You can let them know they haven’t been forgotten, and that means more to them than you can imagine.”
Gifts can be made online at olivergospel.org or sent by mail to PO Box 7697, Columbia, SC 29202. Information on Oliver Gospel’s Thanksgiving preparations and their full range of year-round programs and services can be found online as well.
About Oliver Gospel Mission: Oliver Gospel is a community-based mission that helps those experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction transform their lives through physical, spiritual, and relational support to lead full, healthy lives.
Through our Men's Center, Toby's Place (center for women and children), and our social enterprises, we provide holistic rehabilitation, transitional housing, and career development, always aiming for permanent housing and a solid community for each person who comes through our doors.
###