MIAMI – Volunteers at The Caring Place in Miami are getting ready to serve South Floridians in need this Thanksgiving.
The Caring Place is a faith-based nonprofit which operates The Miami Rescue Mission and Broward Outreach Centers.
Local 10′s Trent Kelly watched the volunteers prep turkey and all the traditional sides early Thursday morning.
Brian Pollock is one of the chefs in charge.
“Today will be having mashed potatoes with gravy, classic stuffing, turkey, green beans, cranberry sauce, sweet potato and potato pie,” said Pollock.
Several hundred volunteers started cooking at 3 a.m. and have said they expect to serve about 3,000 guests in Miami-Dade and Broward County.
“Across both campuses in Miami and Hollywood, we are going feed more than 3,000 meals and we have 300 volunteers. We’ve been working towards this day, it stared a couple of weeks back,” said Antonio Villasuso, The Caring Place.
Pollock knows just how great the need is, having been on the receiving end just a few years ago.
“I came into the program in 2019, you know, and I was lost, broken, like most of these guys are. Now I’m on the other side, I get to witness guys coming in for their first time, the transformation as they go through the process and the program, and it’s just amazing,” said Pollock.
In addition to a warm meal, organizers also provide free clothing to those who need it, along with other services the homeless would otherwise go without.
“Oh man, I get the blessing of seeing God’s grace on people’s lives every day. I wouldn’t change it for nothing in the world,” said Pollock.