It is time to think about Thanksgiving 2016

Thanksgiving is upon us once again and there are many folks that don't have much to be thankful for but you can make this more than just another holiday season and do more than just "phone it in", stuff your face with a nice meal, at a nice table, in a nice house .... with a roof .... and heat ... and walls ... and a bathroom ... and running water ...

Please feel free to share this link with as many folks as you can.

The number of homeless on the streets has increased  once again regardless of what the reports of the economy tell the masses.  I have watched the street population rise every year since I started counting folks in 2009.

The economy and increase in homelessness has impacted URM again this year, regardless of what the media reports.  When my involvement started with URM in 2009 the price per meal was $1.84.   You can check out some of the photos from 2011 and 2012 and see how much URM provides for less than half of what one pays for a you pay for a burger and fries at your local fast food place at the links just below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/myles111us/sets/72157628055910983/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myles111us/sets/72157632036286632/

I think you would be amazed at the meal they provide.

Many of you have seen the post asking you to help the folks at Union Rescue Mission over the last years.  My original post can be seen at http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2010/11/help-me-provide-thanksgiving-meals-at.html  The people who provided meals in 2010 and 2011 are listed in that piece.

Below is a bit of past information.  In 2014 I stopped counting meals as things became more depressing as I watched the media report on how things were improving .... as the situation became worse.  Bottom line ... by any count, the situation has not improved.  Feel free to contact URM directly if you want to know the figures on meals provided for past Thanksgiving meals.

In 2010 our dinner count was 1,465 dinners!

In 2011 the count from our group was over 1,700 of the approximately 7,000 meals served

2012 the best year yet! - 1,861 meals donated this year!

2013 - Over 4,000 meals were served.

(not counting those who asked to remain anonymous and some cell phone donations) 

Los Angeles continues to hold the title of the homeless capitol of the United States.  Take a look at the two links below for some recent information.

Homeless is not a label which is reserved for people who have mental problems, drug or alcohol problems or have personality disorders.  There are people on the streets like you and me.  People who were a productive part of society who have lost their jobs due to the economy.  People who have lost their homes.

http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2012/08/skid-row-july-2012.html
http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2012/06/homelessness-there-are-individuals.html

Union Rescue Mission is the oldest and largest of the Los Angeles missions.  They are highly organized, very efficient and have a track record of long term recovery that goes back over 100 years.

Sponsor a table at Union Rescue Mission or 

provide a meal for a family or individual

I am asking my friends for help.  There are a number of ways you can help.  The bullet points below hit the high points.  Further down in this piece there are additional details.

• Go to the URM website at http://www.urm.org/ and click on the donate tab
• You may contribute in ANY amount.  Even a few dollars helps
• All contributions are 100% tax deductible
• All credit cards are accepted on a secure site
• You may also donate via paypal from the main donation page
• In a hurry? Donate $10 (feed a family of four people) via a text message from your cell phone

The cost of a meal is only $2.41. No credit card? No pay-pal? Do you have a cell phone? To donate $10 to Union Rescue Mission, text the letters URM to 85944. You will receive a confirmation text message. Reply with the word YES to complete the transaction. This will supply five Thanksgiving dinners

For $48.20 you can sponsor a table at Thanksgiving.  The table is for 20 people.   You can also sponsor partial tables.  You can donate in any amount.  

Click on either image for a larger presentation.

2011 dinner plate

Pie for dessert.  Not seen in this shot was the four different choices of
ice cream to accompany your pie.

This is a collective effort.  By passing along the link to this piece you help spread awareness.  

If you donate to Union Rescue Mission using any method, please feel free to send me your name or company.  Your supplied information will be included in this piece. How you are listed is optional.  It does not have to be your own name.  The donation can be in the name of a loved one, family member, organization, company, your dog, a cause of some type or just about anything you wish.  Those who have helped in the last two years are listed in the 2010/2011 piece.

Optionally, it helps me if you send me a note or message with a donation amount or meal count.  The amount will not be published.  I use the data to get an idea of the meal count we have raised.

Any contribution goes a long way.  A few dollars helps.  Many of you have spare change sitting in your paypal account.  That "$8.43" that may not enough to buy a book off Amazon or a cool effects pedal off  Ebay may be just the ticket for a better holiday for some folks. The salt alone for the stuffing could be paid for by one small donation.  Here is Chef Larry's recipe for stuffing; for 4,500 people :)

250 pounds crusty bread

32 pounds butter

500 onions, diced

500 celery stalks, diced

63 cups minced fresh parsley leaves

62 table spoons salt

125 table spoons ground black pepper

500 cups chicken broth

500 large eggs

Below, a slide show of the 2011 and 2012 event. Thank you all again.   2011 Event 2012 event

Myles Rose is the founder of Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting which provides support services and training for touring bands and individuals as well as blueprinting services.   You may contact me from the link.  My direct contact information is provided as well as links to two of the Internet forums where I answer technical questions.  You may also ask questions in any post in this blog by using the comment application on each post.

When I am not doing something related to music I do what I can to support the homeless of Los Angeles either directly on the streets at night or through my good friends at Union Rescue Mission.