Cultivate and Unity Gardens filling tables with Thanksgiving feasts 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The South Bend Organization Cultivate Food Rescue is hosting a ‘No Empty Tables Thanksgiving Campaign’, where they are distributing 400 heat-and-serve meals to families with the help of other local resources, including Unity Gardens.

Each feast was sponsored by another community member for $100 and includes half a smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, a vegetable, cranberry sauce, rolls and a pie.

Part of the distribution happened Tues. evening at Unity Gardens, where volunteers packed bags full of food and passed them out as community members came to collect them.

“I’m just so grateful that Cultivate and Unity Gardens can work together to provide food for our community. They rescue, we help distribute it, it’s just a beautiful partnership that was like made in heaven,” said the Youth Programs and Events coordinator for Unity Gardens, Selina Alcantar.

The creator of the hot portion of the meal, April Howell, the executive chef for Cultivate, said her team put in extra time to get the food ready to hit a table.

“Nothing was bought, it was all rescued… so really there’s just a lot of, not just work but a lot of love and care and attention that was put into these meals because I know where they’re gonna be going… it’s really worth it, knowing that there is gonna be memories made at the table and joy, maybe hope where maybe there wasn’t going to be hope before,” said Howell.

For those that may not have a place to gather this Thurs., The Downtown Soup Kitchen at First Northwest United Methodist Church, Hope Ministries, and Top Notch restaurant are among other local South Bend groups that will be providing free food Thanksgiving Day.

To view the opportunities still available to help with the campaign, click here.