For 65 years, the Nugget Casino Resort has been providing a Thanksgiving dinner to Catholic Charities in the area.
They have offered free meals for people who could use some holiday happiness.
Times have changed during the pandemic, but this long time tradition continues this year.
A lot of food was brought into the Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada's St. Vincent's Dining Room for their annual Thanksgiving meal for those who are less fortunate.
A thousand meals were expected to be given out this year, "400 lbs of turkey, 600 lbs of mashed potatoes, 30 gallons of gravy, 300 lbs of stuffing," said Nugget Casino Resort Director of Marketing Communications Randy Kennedy.
The Nugget Casino Resort's kitchen has been making the dinner for Catholic Charities since 1955. "The entire community is invited to come down. A lot of our folks are individuals who are experiencing being homeless.
A lot of them are families that have been really hard hit particularly by the pandemic.
We are seeing a lot more families coming down to seek help then we used to see," said Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada CEO Marie Baxter.
This year is a little different because of the pandemic, and not just because of an increase in those who are struggling financially.
Due to COVID restrictions, the meal is given out as a to-go-order, instead of having people sit in and eat. "We have the full deal from the pumpkin pie, to the turkey, and mashed potatoes," said Baxter.
The gesture means a lot to both the Nugget staff, Catholic Charities volunteers who give out the meals, and those who are receiving the food. "We want to make sure people feel like they are part of our community and a part of our larger family, especially during the holidays," said Baxter.
The meal give-away ended this Thanksgiving afternoon, but Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada and the Nugget will team together for a similar meal for Christmas.
