Restauranteur Donnie Vercher fed hundreds of homeless people a Thanksgiving meal on November 19 at his restaurant on Fourth Plain Boulevard in Vancouver, according to an article in The Columbian.
Vercher got the idea of helping the homeless some 25 years ago, when he was in San Jose, California, trying to get back to his home in South Lake Tahoe. He saw a man in a park feeding the homeless, who tried to feed him when Vercher approached. Vercher said no, he just wanted to go home. The stranger gave him enough money for a bus ticket, and refused Vercher’s offer to repay him, telling him instead to “just do it for the next person.”
This is the fifth year in a row that Vercher has made Thanksgiving a little brighter for those in need. He and his volunteers, who numbered between 30 and 50, served over 400 people a meal of ham and turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, pie, and cranberry sauce.
In addition to feeding those who came to the restaurant, Vercher and his elves also packed up about 60 to-go plates for the homeless in other areas of city. Volunteers also put together about 400 “goodie Bags” containing items like socks and ear warmers to distribute to those in need.
Events like this can benefit if organizers work with flyer printing companies, who can create handouts for citywide distribution.
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