San Francisco neighborhood gets served Easter Sunday meals with a special show
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Hundreds of people were served up a warm holiday meal Easter Sunday at The Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco, accompanied by the vocals of a local drag queen.
The event was put on by Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners. The nonprofit was founded by its namesake in the 70s.
Tessie was a drag queen," said Michael Gagne, board chair of the nonprofit. "She got some turkeys donated at Thanksgiving one year back in like 76' and she just blew it up to Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving and it just got bigger, and bigger."
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"I wasn't expecting this," said Danilo Fuentes, while enjoying his meal. "It's my first time- and they say they have it every year and hopefully we have it next year too. It's wonderful, it's a wonderful lunch," said Fuentes. "The entertainment was awesome," he added.
Volunteers like Fred Green help make the event come to life. He's been helping out for 13 years and said he understands the struggle.
"We just want people to feel comfortable and safe, living on the street is hard. And I myself was homeless so there's nothing they can tell me about it," said Green.
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And young Azzurri Dillmann was out there proving children can also help out; this is her third year volunteering. "My favorite part about today was putting the candy in the eggs," she said, adding that it makes her happy knowing she's helping other children.
8-year-old Chris Matias was happy to have a chance to experience a holiday meal with his entire family. "It means a lot because my dad is at work a lot," he said. "So, we don't really get to spend that time with him, but now it's a Sunday and we get to be with him."
And when asked if he like the meal, he had a very clear answer: "Absolutely," he said. "I didn't like it. I loved it."
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