SAN ANTONIO – The 46th annual Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner is expected to serve more people than ever this year as organizers prepare for an increased demand both at the Henry B. González Convention Center and through home-delivered meals.
“With the way things are now — loss of wages, increase in food costs — I think it has come time for us to expect more folks,” said Patricia Jimenez, CEO and president of the organization behind the decades-old tradition.
Each year, the dinner provides a hot holiday meal to more than 25,000 people in need. But this Thanksgiving, Jimenez said organizers are planning to feed approximately 4,000 additional guests.
“We are getting ready to buy 100 more turkeys and prepare to feed close to 4,000 more,” she said.
The anticipated increase comes as families continue to grapple with economic challenges. The ongoing government shutdown and the expiration of SNAP benefits on Nov. 1 are expected to push more residents to seek assistance.
“I wish it wasn’t a problem,” Jimenez said. “I wish that we didn’t have to worry about it, but unfortunately, right now with the way things are, everybody has to do what they can.”
Thanks to early community support, the organization has already secured many of its needed donations.
On Tuesday, the Kym’s Angels Foundation announced it was doubling its original $50,000 donation to $100,000 to help meet this year’s expanded need.
“We are going to do everything that we can to ensure that we have what we need so that we don’t run out of food and that we do have a way to serve all those people that walk in the door,” Jimenez said.
Volunteer registration is now open at rauljimenezdinner.com. Those who need a home-delivered meal can register by calling 211 and selecting option 1.
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