Thirty-one years ago the Omaha Works Pioneers started TurkeyFest with the Salvation Army. They provided the place to hold TurkeyFest and the Pioneers provided the rest. Things have changed but the Pioneer are still here volunteering and providing some help with the supplies. Below is the coverage by KMTV’s of the 2022 TurkeyFest

Salvation Army’s 31st annual TurkeyFest helping hundreds of Omaha seniors in need
Story by Kalé Searcy

OMAHA, Neb. —Since 1991, the Salvation army’s 31st annual Turkeyfest helping Omaha seniors in need has helped provide dinner on Thanksgiving.

And for almost every year since, Douglas Thoms has been there as a volunteer.

“We had people that actually came into the Salvation Army, and we would feed them as they came through the line,” he said.

Thoms remembers the program providing just a few meals, but now they’re sending out over 1,000 across the metro.

“It’s changed then. Now we put it in a Styrofoam container, and we send it out to each individual’s home, which is different because each year the number of people that need help grows,” Thoms said.

Kevin Newlin has been the Salvation Army’s chef for 14 years, spending the days before Thanksgiving in the kitchen.

“It takes about three and a half, four days. And then on Wednesday night, we start coming in and blanching the green beans, getting the potatoes ready, making the stuffing, and everything’s from scratch here. So, we try to make it as delicious as possible,” Newlin said.

Newlin said since his start, this year came with its own set of challenges when it came to getting everything on his shopping list.

“The supply and demand of turkeys has been a nightmare this year. We had to go back to whole turkeys. I couldn’t find the normal turkey that we use, and then inflation, it just put a price tag on all the items that we had to, you know, purchase with a smart mind,” he said.

But Newlin said the focus was to stay on budget to meet the growing need in the metro. And for almost every year since, Douglas Thoms has been there as a volunteer.

“We had people that actually came into the Salvation Army, and we would feed them as they came through the line,” he said.

Thoms remembers the program providing just a few meals, but now they’re sending out over 1,000 across the metro.

“It’s changed then. Now we put it in a Styrofoam container, and we send it out to each individual’s home, which is different because each year the number of people that need help grows,” Thoms said.

Kevin Newlin has been the Salvation Army’s chef for 14 years, spending the days before Thanksgiving in the kitchen.

Repost from KETV