Goodwill will offer thousands of Baltimoreans free Thanksgiving turkey dinners in one of Baltimore’s longest-running charitable Thanksgiving feast traditions. It’s the first Thanksgiving event since 2019 for the organization.
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake will host its 66th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner and Resource Fair at the Baltimore Convention Center. More than 2,000 people are expected to partake of the free holiday turkey meals with all the trimmings.
More than 300 volunteers come together from across Maryland to make it happen, serving meals to people who otherwise may not have the means to celebrate the holiday. Goodwill promises there will be plenty of food for everyone who wants to come by.
The food numbers broken down are enormous, involving 2,700 pounds of turkey, from around 200 whole turkeys donated by Giant Food Stores. There will be 2,400 slices of cake, 60 pounds of pork shoulder, 87 gallons of milk, and 4,000 bananas and tangerines.
There will be entertainment in addition to the meal, and a resource fair will be held for attendees. “Guests will have the opportunity to have resumes prepared for them and talk to Goodwill staff about programs focused on job training and health-related resources. The purpose of the fair is to assist those who are unemployed, underemployed, or facing barriers to gaining employment,” reads the press release.
The Thanksgiving Dinner and Resource Fair will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center located at 1 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The meal will be served from 11:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., and the Resource Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Goodwill was first established in Baltimore in 1919 by Reverend John S. German and a group of civic leaders. Goodwill’s website explains that while the organization’s initial focus was to help people with disabilities find employment, that mission has expanded. “Goodwill’s primary objective is to help individuals with barriers to employment become self-sufficient through training and employment service,” according to its “About Us” page.
For more information about the Thanksgiving Dinner and Resource Fair, please click this link.
