Tag Archive for: thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving in Echo Park brings sounds of… fireworks?

July 4th, 2011 fireworks

Thanksgiving dinner with the family last night was accompanied by an unusual noise this time of year – loud popping sounds coming from somewhere nearby in Echo Park. I immediately concluded the sounds were fireworks, not having the heart to tell my family it maybe, perhaps, could have been gunshots (I’m apparently not so good and telling the difference right away).

We figured it wasn’t the latter, but resident Jeanne did some digging of her own, and apparently the dinner-time fireworks we heard weren’t the only ones. Jeanne emailed us the official word this morning:

Bizarrely, per northeast division desk sargent: some adolescent thought it would be entertaining to light fireworks in the wee hours of the morning in the 1300 block of sunset.

So for once, the large explosive noises were not gunfire-that-sounded-like-fireworks, but actually fireworks.

A relief i guess for it not to be shooting…

Here, here!

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Giving thanks to Echo Park Fire Station 20

I recently had a great opportunity to help organize the Thanksgiving Day “adoption” of the Echo Park Fire Station 20 as a member of the Echo Park Improvement Association (EPIA). We sent out a call for help recently to our EPIA subscribers, asking for donations of Thanksgiving meal dishes to take to our local fire station, since they all had to clock in for work today while most of us get the holiday off.

And we had a great response! Echo Park is a community full of caring people, and everyone came together at the fire house today bearing cranberry sauce, rolls, pies, turkey, and all the fixin’s. A few families came out to hang out with the crew as well, and the kids had a great time climbing in the fire trucks.

Thank you to everyone who brought the food, and to Andrea Barbosa and family for the idea and making it happen! Thanks also goes to Echo Park Patch and The Eastsider LA for helping spread the word about the event.

More importantly, thank you firefighters! With all the budget cuts going on, we know you’re working very, very hard to keep us safe. Happy holidays!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

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Last chance for Echo Park Farmers’ Market before Thanksgiving

John Sweredoski helps customers at the Farmers' Market

The Echo Park Farmers’ Market is an important errand for most Fridays, but today is especially important – next week is Thanksgiving, and we want to make sure everyone stocks up fresh, local ingredients for Turkey Day.

The most important item: Herbs! These are typically very expensive in the standard grocery store if you’re buying fresh, so forget Vons or even Whole Foods and stop by booths like Sweredoski Farms (pictured) for Rosemary, Lemon Basil (they grow the best!), Tarragon, Bay Leaves, and Chives.

Don’t forget the basics at any of the oter booths: Onions, lemons, shallots, apples, celery, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, garlic, yams and eggs (especially those eggs – incredibly fresh, organic and inexpensive!).

For the Acorn Squash and other heirloom squash, I always go to the booth on the same side as the soy candle guy. While I don’t recall the name, they have some of the best squash I’ve ever had! They all carry fresh salad mix, so keep your eyes peeled.

If Soledad Goats is there, be sure to pick up our favorite goat cheese appetizer to lay out while the meal is cooking: Either the hand-rolled soft cheese in the jar with olive oil & spices ($8-10) and/or the herbed hard cheese (about $1 per ounce).

Make sure to chat with the farmers – find out where they are located, and if what you’re buying is organic (doesn’t matter if it’s certified or not). If you miss out on today’s Farmers’ Market in Echo Park, you might also find many of the same vendors at the Silver Lake Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm, and the Atwater Village Farmers’ Market every Sunday from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

The Echo Park Farmers’ Market takes place every Friday from 3-7:00 pm in parking lot #663 (half a block south of Sunset Blvd. off Logan Street).

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Countdown to Thanksgiving: Local volunteer opportunities

Gobble Gobble Give

This annual tradition brings lots and lots and lots of families in need out to The Echo for free turkey dinners, and they need lots of help. Bring a dish already heated (they’ll take any ‘giving sides but also need turkeys), five small toiletry kits, clothing and/or blankets on Thanksgiving Day starting at 8:00 am. Volunteers can show up starting at 7:30 am. Families in need start arriving at 10:00 am.

Go to gobblegobblegive.org for more information, or to donate just a few bucks to help buy turkey dinners for those in need.

A Place Called Home in South Central LA

Donate pies for the A Place Called Home Thanksgiving Dinner in South Central Los Angeles. Drop off pies on Tuesday, November 22 between 12:00 noon –  6:30 pm at 2830 South Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90011. Click here for info.

One Incredible Family in Playa Del Rey

Prepare and deliver meals for the homeless (along with other volunteer duties) at One Incredible Family in Playa Del Rey on Saturday, November 26. You can also volunteer to cook large turkeys the day before and deliver to the project site the day of. Click here for info.

Union Station Homeless Services

Thanksgiving Dinner-in-the-Park volunteers are needed both the day before and the date after Thanksgiving, at Union Station in Pasadena. Activities include event set-up, registration, food preparation, clean-up and more. For more information contact dinnerinthepark@unionstationhs.org. You can register online www.unionstationhs.org.

More opportunities

You can search for more volunteer opportunities on the LA Works website.

Did we miss anything? Please let us know in the comments below and we’ll be sure to add the information!

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Large crowds at the Echo for Gobble Gobble Give!

This is the first year we’ve been able to make it down to The Echo to check out Gobble Gobble Give, but it’s the 12th year Echo Park residents and volunteers from all around have kicked in food and clothing for this special event.

The lines were long – cars and pedestrians streamed all the way down past the Sunset bridge over Glendale Blvd. But the wait (about 45 minutes to an hour) was worth it as pedestrians and cars loaded up on pre-prepared Thanksgiving meals and free clothing. It looks like everyone did a great job!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Order your Delilah Bakery pies soon!

It might not be too late – Delilah Bakery is taking orders for Thanksgiving pies, which is coming up soon on Thursday, November 25. Order delicious fillings like Pumpkin Bourbon Pie, Cherry Cobbler (a classic), or a Apple Brown Betty. You can also grab a tub of whipped cream for $5!

These gals know what they are doing – they took home third place last September at KCRW’s 2nd Annual Good Food Pie Contest in Beverly Hills for their Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust.

Click here to download the Thanksgiving menu.

Click here to download the Order Form.

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Stick around this Thanksgiving and volunteer

This year marks the 12th annual Gobble Gobble Give – what started out as a couple of Echo Park residents cooking Thanksgiving meals for a few homeless in the neighborhood has turned into a huge community effort where 2,000 people in need are fed, clothed, and just helped out in general.

The organizers need your donations of money, food, clothing, water, shoes, blankets, soap, toothbrush kits, or whatever you can offer to help. Sign up to volunteer on their website (and do it soon!).

Gobble Gobble Give
Thursday, November 25 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
The Echo, 1822 West Sunset Blvd.

Ana Calderon will be DJ’ing. With special thanks to American Apparel, At The Echo, and everyone involved.

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Feed the homeless

head

It started with one person, Echo Park resident Barry Walker, who cooked and delivered Turkey Day meals to the homeless in his neighborhood… and now a group of friends in Echo Park have shown up to help cook and deliver meals for the past 10 years – the first year, 28 homeless were fed! The next year more showed up and over fifty meals went out. The following year, we reached the 100 mark and last year we were able to feed over 1,500 homeless in our neighborhood and leave them with t-shirts, beanies, shoes, sweaters, and tooth brush kits. Gobble Gobble Give is a community event and has become an incredible example of what a community can do to make change.

Gobble Gobble Give is looking for volunteers on every level who can give food, money, or clothing and those who can donate their time this upcoming Thanksgiving day (Nov 26th) by cooking, warming, packaging and delivering food to the homeless in Echo Park and Downtown LA. Every little bit helps
those in need, so show some love and give a friend a reason to be thankful.

Click here to donate money to Gobble Gobble Give for supplies and food.

Click here to donate your time on Thanksgiving Day.

GGG is also taking DONATIONS IN ADVANCE of clothing (specifically, gently used sweaters, jackets, shirts, socks, and hats for men, women, children), blankets, and supplies for toiletry kits toothbrush/toothpaste, soap and shampoo. All clothing, supplies and toiletries can dropped off in advance this Saturday, Nov 21st and Sunday, Nov. 22nd from 1-4 PM at Raven Spa (2910 Rowena Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039-2042 / ph: 323-644-0240).

Here’s the rundown on how THANKSGIVING DAY will work:
Everyone arrives at 10 a.m. SHARP Thanksgiving morning at The Echo night club in Echo Park. The address is 1822 Sunset Bl. 90026.

Everyone is asked to bring the following:
1. A DISH. “ALREADY HEATED” This is a potluck event. It can be as little as a side of vegetables or it can be three large bowls of your grandma’s famous “cranberry walnut stuffing”. We can always use Turkeys and main course items. Side dishes are great as well. Veggies, Veggies, Veggies. Mashed potatoes, yams, vegetables, greens, etc. Of course desserts are always awesome. If you are bringing a main dish like an entire turkey or ham etc. please email us at turkeycrew@gobblegobblegive.org and let us know so we can tabulate what we need as we get closer to the big day.

2. FIVE (5) SMALL TOILETRY KITS. that include a: toothbrush/toothpaste, soap and shampoo. You can get these items very inexpensively at $0.99 stores.

3. CLOTHING AND BLANKETS. Please bring any used blankets and/or gently used sweaters, jackets, shirts, socks, shoes, beanies/hats for men, women,
children.

At 10:15 we begin a large “conveyor Belt” of food and with the help of everyone we put the meals together. We box them up together with care packages of tooth brushes, soap, clothes, etc..

At around 11: 00 a.m. the first vehicles begin to roll out. For those of you who have a car and want to drive you will be known as drivers. We will put a few people in your car with you and you will go out in two or three car teams. We hit the riverbeds, the alleys, the freeway overpasses. sometimes we discover small villages of people in dirt fields and empty lots. The vehicles return after delivering all the meals. We are always done by 1:00 p.m..

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