The Morongo Indian Reservation Donates 9,000 Turkeys

Nine-thousand turkeys were all packed and ready to go to the 75 nonprofit organizations that were selected for the annual Thanksgiving outreach program at the Morongo Indian Reservation.

More than 100 volunteers met around 8 a.m. to get the turkeys to their new homes.

Anne Robinson is the Co-Chair of the Morongo Charities committee.

“I’m extremely proud of our tribe and that we want to do this every year for people that wouldn’t have Thanksgiving without our help,” said Robinson.

Bill Wathern is a veteran who has attended the program for the past seven years and helps distribute the turkeys.

“You can walk down the street and find people to help. It’s very simple,” said Wathern.

He took 50 of them with him to help families where he lives in Murrietta.

“It’s great. The best thing is watching the kids, of course the parents usually come out in tears,” said Wathern.

But this was a first for some organizations, including the Abundant Life Christina Fellowship in Desert Hot Springs.

“It is a struggle and we appreciate getting these turkeys very, very much. I think it’s going to be a great moral booster; it’s going to be something to bless the people in this city so we’re overjoyed about it,” said Pastor Raymond Smith.

“We are good Samaritans, we belong to a church and we love people, and we love God and we’re reaching the world,” added Smith.

Other nonprofit organizations from all over southern California also benefited from the program.

Larry King from the City Mission Ministries in Riverside said he was happy to be a part of this day.

“The lord blesses us and then we can bless them,” said King.

Twenty-six years ago the Morongo Band of Mission Indians donated 1,000 turkeys to the local community. Now they’re donating 9,000 throughout California, and next year they want to do more.

Robinson said it’s the perfect time to help.

“The economy, it’s been devastating for a lot of people especially in Riverside county and we’re doing our part in giving back and sharing, and that’s what we do,” said Robinson.