Volunteers prepare thousands of meals for Orlando Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving meal distribution

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Local community partners were hard at work Thursday to make sure everyone enjoys a hot meal this Thanksgiving. In partnership with the Salvation Army, Valencia College students prepared thousands of meals to distribute to the community.

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The students and chefs of Valencia College’s culinary program had pots boiling at 2 a.m., making their own broth, then adding it to breadcrumbs to make stuffing from scratch.

“This is an experience for our students, not only in the culinary aspect, but also how to give back to the community,” Alex Erdmann, the Dean of Valencia’s School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts, said.

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This is the third year Valencia College and the Salvation Army have partnered up to provide Thanksgiving meals.

“This meal is about people who one, can’t afford to have their own meal, people experiencing homelessness, but also people are just lonely and just need human interaction,” Major Ken Chapman, the Area Commander for the Salvation Army, said. “It’s just a great day to make everybody feel welcomed and that Orlando is a great place to live.”

Once the cooking was done, the more than 2,000 pounds of turkey and mashed potatoes as well as the more than 1,500 pounds of green beans and cranberry sauce, plus desserts and rolls, were packaged up into hot boxes.

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The boxes were loaded on to pallets, wrapped up, and placed on to trucks.

A delivery then headed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Orlando South Stake location.

“There’s a need to help others and Thanksgiving is a perfect time to do that,” Lami Wolfgramm, a volunteer with the church, said.

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Volunteers were on hand throughout the day to help serve on this day of thanks.

“It brings joy, it brings great joy to see others be able to have a Thanksgiving meal they may not be able to have at this time,” Wolfgramm said.

A total of more than 8,500 meals were distributed on Thanksgiving alone.

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