Thanksgiving At Mesquite Senior Center

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

Fellowship, appreciation and wonderful food aromas flowed through the air of the Mesquite Senior Center on Wednesday, Nov. 24 as the twenty-year tradition of providing Thanksgiving Dinner to the community continued.

Mayor Al Litman and his wife Phyllis were there at the entry to open the doors, greet and welcome the guests into the festively-decorated center.

The senior center staff got started early that day to prepare for this special occasion.
“Our staff of twelve arrived at 5:00 am to do food prep and get ready to provide the dinners,” said Mesquite Senior Center Supervisor, Griseyda Belalcazar.

An indoor dine-meal was served from 11 AM until 3 PM. Meals were also available at a drive thru distribution out in front of the building, and at a walk-up take-out door.

Forty volunteers from the community and city officials came to help dish up the meals and serve it to community members.

When diners at the event were asked what they were most thankful for on this day, the number one answer was just being alive. Next was having good health, and third was having good friends and children.

Most of the guests were regular visitors to the senior center. Some said that this was the only Thanksgiving Dinner they would have this year. Others said that they would be with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day. All agreed they enjoyed the fellowship experienced at the dinner.

Nicholas Montoya Director of Mesquite Athletics and Leisure Services Department, was in attendance with many others helping to serving dinners.
“We are happy to help our community!” Montoya said. “Giving back is very important.”

Kitchen staff member Laura Rivas was also busy at the event. She has been cooking at the Senior Center for almost twenty years now. She started in the year 2000 and took 5 years off raising her baby.

“I am happy to be here!” Rivas said. “The real message of Thanksgiving is family and some people have no family around except here.”

Belalcazar praised the center’s cooking staff for the efforts they had put in to feed the community. “Rivas and our head cook, Leora Hillius, deserve a shout out and our gratitude,” said Belalcazar. “They have been doing food prep and have been cooking turkeys for the past two weeks to prepare for this.”

Krissy Thornton, Programs Assistant also spent days working on the decorations in the large dining hall. Thornton spent Wednesday spreading cheer in the room and among the guests; and seeing to everyone’s wellbeing.

Many sponsors make all this possible, and they were listed on the placemats on the tables. According to Belalcazar the four main donors for this event include Mesquite Gaming, Sysco Las Vegas, ALSCO and the Eureka Resort.

“I want to thank Bradley & Mary Shurtleff one of our most generous supporters throughout the year with their donations,” Belalcazar added.

The Mesquite Senior Center also supplies Thanksgiving dinners to the local Senior Care facilities. Last year, the Center supplied 2,000 meals to the community.