On the eve of Thanksgiving, families gathered in a long, steady line outside the Galilee Center in Mecca to pick up food baskets with turkeys for their holiday tables, with nearly 300 households served in the first hour — a testament to the rising need and community-driven mission behind the faith-based nonprofit.
At the center of it all, blending in with the volunteers and staff, were co-founders Claudia Castorena and Gloria Gomez, slipping through the gentle bustle as the distribution carried the familiar rhythm of 15 years of service.
That rhythm took on new meaning this year, as the center returned to a walk-up Thanksgiving distribution for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, a shift Castorena described as “a bit like relearning the process,” though the team quickly found its stride.
As the afternoon continued, volunteers anticipated handing out between 700 and 750 baskets — on top of the 100 delivered earlier in the week to homebound residents.
Helping families hold on to a holiday tradition
Altogether, the center served roughly 800 households, a number that, Castorena said, reflected how especially pronounced the need felt this year.
“We’re seeing new people, new faces,” she said. “People who are struggling financially or without work. Before, with $100, you were able to buy quite a bit. Now, the same $100 doesn’t last too much.”
Among those at the Galilee Center was Lorena Torres, a mother of four who had just picked up her basket with two of her children. Money was tight this year, and her kids had been asking to make a turkey at home — especially her 10-year-old, who had just celebrated his birthday.
“He just wanted to do a turkey at home,” she said.
Torres grew up celebrating Thanksgiving and brought those traditions into her marriage. It’s now a family ritual — one the center helped them continue this year.
The buzz of a community at work
Boxes of tortillas, fresh produce and turkeys moved steadily down the line, supported by community donations. Moving with them were volunteers like Chris Hein and Adam Bjorkman, helping families carry their boxes and keeping the afternoon running smoothly.
Hein started volunteering a few years ago after retiring from his career, first stepping in when the center needed help assembling bicycles. He’s since become a weekly fixture, helping distribute food, diapers and baby formula every Thursday. Bjorkman, who volunteered last year as well, brought younger members of the Cub Scouts of Indio, hoping the experience would instill responsibility and a sense of community.
Amid the bustle was Martha Olvera, the center’s assistant director of operations, briefly livestreaming the event as families picked up their food. When she didn’t spot a turkey among a man’s belongings as he headed toward the exit, she called after him, “¿Tu pavo?” (“Your turkey?”)
“¿Pavo? ¡El pavote!” he said, hoisting his grocery bag where he had stowed the turkey — a playful way of saying he’d gotten a big one.
The Thanksgiving food basket distribution is just one part of the Galilee Center’s work, which operates year-round to provide food and other support to low-income residents in the eastern Coachella Valley.
Even so, Olvera said she had wondered whether they could meet the need this year, given the uncertainty around federal food assistance and the cost of groceries. She pointed to the range of people who helped make the day possible — from donors like the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to a $100,000 campaign led by Lyla Barkett, a student at Xavier College Preparatory High School.
“The founders believe in prayer and God does provide. I can’t deny that. It happens all the time,” she said. “A lot of us take for granted being able to go buy a turkey and all the fixings. This is a huge blessing for us. It takes a village.”
A mission rooted in community and dignity
As families made their way out and volunteers offered a hand where needed, Castorena said one of the biggest lessons she’s learned is to not to judge those who come for help — because their struggles aren’t always visible.
“We don’t always know why they come,” she said. “Maybe they need an embrace or a smile.”
Those seemingly simple interactions — brief conversations, shared thanks, familiar faces — have showed her that the need can go beyond food. Sometimes, it’s for connection and community, the very things the Galilee Center aims to offer.
“We want the families in need to have a decent Thanksgiving,” Castorena said. “And we want to provide with dignity.”
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ‘New people, new faces’ as Galilee Center serves 800 for Thanksgiving
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
