A UF student organization that makes and delivers 150 meals a week to needy residents in Alachua County is now gearing up for “Turkeypalooza.”
Campus Kitchens is collecting food supplies for an annual Thanksgiving community dinner that will be held at the Boys & Girls Club at Woodland Park in November.
Fremon Williams, the program’s director, said Turkeypalooza has been a success in the past.
“I would just love to see the continuation of Campus Kitchens here at the Boys & Girls Club,” Williams said. “Everything they’re doing is great.”
Last year, Turkeypalooza was more of a food drive than it was a community dinner, said Nico Waler, a UF biology senior and co-president of Campus Kitchens. The organization raised money and had typical Thanksgiving foods donated, such as cranberry jam and green beans.
Throughout the year, the group works with Gator Dining Services and local organizations to make sure cooked-but-uneaten leftover food on campus is taken to homeless shelters and community centers in the county, said Laurel Nesbit, program assistant at the UF Office of Sustainability.
Waler, who became a part of Campus Kitchens during his freshman year, said the entire community interacts during the events.
“Everybody gets to hang out, get to know each other and eat free food,” he said.
A version of this story ran on page 3 on 10/15/2013 under the headline "Group prepares for ‘Turkeypalooza’"
