Thanksgiving spirit lights up Houston as Anosh Foundation hosts turkey drive for families in need

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Hundreds of turkeys given out to local families

FOX 26's Jade Flury has more on what one organization is doing to spread Thanksgiving cheer.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the spirit of giving is already in full swing in the city. The Anosh Foundation, along with the City of Houston, hosted their Thanksgiving Turkey Drive to spread generosity to families in need on Monday. 

Despite the rain, the Anosh Foundation and its volunteers were undeterred in their mission to spread Thanksgiving cheer. The community received hundreds of turkeys that were given out at the drive-thru event, making sure families in need had a special thanksgiving meal. 

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"The spirit of Thanksgiving is that giving. It’s in the root of the word," said Heather Bergdalh, of the Anosh Foundation. 

For the second year, the City of Houston and the Anosh Foundation teamed up to make sure no one goes hungry this Thanksgiving. 

"For us, we want to be able to give back to these families. Some of these families wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving if it wasn't for this drive-thru," said Bergdahl. 

The rain began to pour down, but the desire to make a difference was alive and well at the annual turkey drive. 

"The fact that the Anosh Foundation, in collaboration with the City of Houston, is making sure as many families as possible get food on their table, along with the trimmings for their children, their families as a whole," said Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston. 

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Volunteers, unfazed by the weather, worked quickly to hand out hundreds of Thanksgiving meals to families in need.

"It feels really great to be able to help out the community," said one volunteer. 

"It feels nice to actually be able to give back. Because most people provide for me and it feels nice to actually provide for them," said another volunteer. 

Hundreds of cars lined up with their drivers and passengers eagerly waiting their turn for a turkey and a full-course meal.

"Everyone was very, very appreciative. I mean the human spirit is incredible, and then people are sharing what they have with others," said Mayor Turner. 

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A group of dedicated volunteers from George Bush High School came out to show their community some Thanksgiving love.

"It’s really fun coming out and giving stuff to people and seeing their reaction and their happiness while we give back," said a volunteer. 

The theme of the turkey drive was sharing, caring, and giving back. 

"We’re proud to be a part of it. We’re proud to be able to give families a Thanksgiving dinner to those in need, so it’s a very emotional and heartfelt event," said Bergdalh. 

The Anosh Foundation and volunteers ran out of turkeys within the first hour and a half of the event, but that isn’t the only turkey drive going on this week. For a full list of turkey drives this week, click here.