Turkey Drive
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Stuft Pizza
1461 W. Campbell Ave
At San Tomas Aquino
408 871-7171
Keith Gapol, Owner
map &
directions
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Yes,
it's that time of the year again! Calling all volunteers that can
give time and/or $ donations to help this Thanksgiving week to cook
and freeze turkey for the meals we prepare in our kitchen to feed
the homeless every other week in the Montgomery Meals program. The
dedicated MM volunteers do a tremendous job in this fine example of
ECA outreach, providing meals for close to 200 hungry people each
time. As to where the turkeys will be cooked, we were thrown a big
curveball this year with the recent closing of the nearby Almaden
Pizza Company. However, that ever-intrepid MM stalwart, Craig
Stephan, scoured the valley for another place to cook 75 turkeys and
scored! Turns out that there is a Stuft Pizza in Campbell that has
the same kind of oven and a willing manager (he used to manage the
Amaden Stuft so he's familiar with our Thanksgiving operation). The
Lord does work in mysterious ways! So be looking for the signup
sheets in Fellowship Hall around the first of the month and
volunteer to be a part of this annual event. A big THANKS is in
order for all MM participants the year round.
Steve Wing (aka the
Big Turkey)
PLEASE SIGN UP IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL TO
Give $ to purchase turkeys or
needed MM supplies. We have our turkey sources and would prefer
monetary donations. Make checks payable to ECA
Volunteer to help us
Thanksgiving week (Wed. morning to prep thawed turkeys, Thursday to
transport & receive cooked turkeys and Friday to prepare them
for the freezer).
STUDENTS
Students come and bring your friends - receive community
service hours and a wonderful feeling
CHRONOLOGY
Mon/Tues 11/20-21 Final turkey procurement / prep
Wed 11/22 8:30 AM Finish
turkey & kitchen prep
4:30 AM
Drivers & packers transport to cook batch #1
Thurs
11/23 6:00 AM Kitchen cleaners
Thurs
11/23 8:30 AM
Receive & pack cooked birds into refrig / Drivers & packers transport to cook 2nd batch
Thurs
11/23 11:30 AM
Receive & pack cooked birds into refrig / Drivers & packers transport to cook 3rd batch
Thurs
11/23 2:30 PM Receive & pack last birds into refrig
Fri
11/24 8:30-10:30 AM Turkey pickers & carvers Shift #1
Fri
11/24 10:30-12:30 PM Turkey pickers & carvers Shift #2
Fri 11/24 12:30-1:30 Final kitchen
cleanup
ANY QUESTIONS??? Please call Steve Wing
997-0415 or 265-2607 ext 2456 email: wing42 @ pacbell.net
[This article was originally printed in the
Almaden Times, and is reprinted here with their
permission.]
Episcopal Church in Almaden and Stuft Pizza join to
provide food for homeless
By Craig Stephan
Special to the Times
When
Keith Gopal and Sukhjit Sandhu, the new owners of Stuft Pizza in the Old
Almaden Shopping Center, wanted to provide a noteworthy service to the
homeless community of San Jose, they talked to the members of the Montgomery
Meals cooking team at the Episcopal Church in Almaden. By 4:00 a.m. on
Thanksgiving Day everything was in place. The church team prepared and
provided over 50 large turkeys, and Keith and Sukhjit agreed to provide the
all important baking ovens for the day long project. The result of this
neighborhood collaboration was over 1,000 lbs. of turkey what will provide
meat for the nearly 5,000 meals that the local church provides on every other
Friday throughout the entire year. The team buys its turkeys at Thanksgiving
when the prices are at their lowest.
Long time Almaden resident Amy Griffith, the church's cooking team
coordinator, praises the charitable generosity of Keith and Sukhjit, noting
that their provision of ovens on the busiest turkey baking day of the entire
year is essential to helping those less fortunate through an outreach program.
Montgomery Meals is part of Inn Vision, a
coalition of many volunteer groups that feed the homeless daily at the Cecil
White Center on Montgomery Street and at other shelters throughout San Jose.
Griffith explained that many of those who apply for shelter through Montgomery
Meals are employed. Many have lost their homes and some have to live in their
cars. Others must choose between paying rent or paying for food. The program
can help them to stretch their money while keeping a roof over their heads.
Children too benefit from this food assistance program, not only during the
cold and wet months but during the summer as well when there is no school hot
lunch program available to them.
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Steve Wing
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The
Episcopal Church in Almaden's cooking team got its start over a decade ago
when concerned citizens decided to assemble sandwiches for distribution to the
downtown San Jose homeless. Today this group continues to serve its 5,000
meals per year from more than 30 different nutritionally balanced menus. These
meals feature varieties of turkey, ham, tuna, and beef recipes. The are chosen
to fit the season in order to make the best purchases of fresh fruits,
vegetables and meats. Thus, through community cooperation Stuft Pizza and a
neighborhood church group make the largess of the Thanksgiving season last the
entire year.
Craig Stephan is an instructor of English at Leland High School.
This projected is headed by our talented turkey man, Steve
Wing. Steve can be reached at 997-0415 or by email
at wing42 @ pacbell.net.
