Mobile Turkey Unit gears up for 24th year of service

A South Whidbey holiday tradition of giving is in search of more volunteers.

Since 1999, Mobile Turkey Unit has made Thanksgiving Day meals in Langley and hand-delivered them to front doors, from Clinton to Coupeville. Meal recipients often include the elderly, the homebound, low-income and unemployed individuals and people working during the holiday. For those with no permanent address, meals are distributed at Chevron Short Stop in Freeland and Mobil Gas Station in Bayview.

Meal sign-ups are currently open and can be accessed at mobileturkeyunit.com/request-a-meal/. The goal is to have all requests in by Nov. 17.

During the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mobile Turkey Unit has operated with a limited number of volunteers to meet COVID safety guidelines. But this year, opportunities to help out will be more plentiful.

But don’t dally – the volunteer schedule is expected to fill up within the next week or two. Some slots for turkey slicing, serving and delivering meals remain up for grabs. Volunteers working indoors must wear masks. Visit mobileturkeyunit.com for more details.

Gwendine Norton is the co-president of the nonprofit’s board of directors along with her husband, Tom. She has seen the need in the community grow during the last two years, to the point where volunteers now aim to assemble 700 meals and the cooking process is split between two commercial kitchens at St. Hubert Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church in Langley.

“We just have to keep adapting to get enough refrigeration and the space to do all the cooking for the number of meals we’re serving,” she said.

At the same time, the organization is dealing with supply chain issues more than it ever has before. There was some concern earlier in the year about securing enough cranberries, for example, but that was remedied with a donation from Prima Bistro.

“It made me tear up a little bit,” Norton said.

In a departure from the previous two years, children and teenagers are welcome to volunteer again with their families.

“We’re excited to be bringing back some of the youth involvement this year,” Norton said.

In addition, some students from a South Whidbey High School club have already made a commitment to help out and a fourth grade class from Coupeville Elementary School plans to make cards to be included with the free meals.

Clinton resident Dave Johnson, who manages one of the two kitchens and also serves on the board of directors, said meals provided have doubled since he became involved with Mobile Turkey Unit nearly a decade ago.

“We’ve got a wonderful group of people that step up and they’re willing to put in some time right up till Thanksgiving morning,” he said. “They spend time putting Thanksgiving meals together before putting their own together. That’s very cool.”

Helen Price Johnson, his wife, said it was amazing to see volunteers and coordinators put out more meals than ever during the pandemic.

“I love how the community comes together to help each other,” she said. “That’s one of the best things about living here. This is just such a perfect example of that, where all ages can be a part of that.”

Coupeville resident Puanani Eppard has enjoyed driving down to Langley and participating in a variety of volunteer roles over the years, whether it’s peeling potatoes or delivering meals.

A former driver for Island Transit, Eppard recalled recognizing the address of a homebound man who she had helped sign up to receive a meal. She fondly remembered delivering the food to him that year.

“Seeing other people I haven’t seen in years that are able to have that meal, it’s just really a nice thing,” she said. “It opens up their heart and they are just so grateful and they can’t get over that someone remembered them and they don’t have to pay for anything.”