Founders of Palo Alto streets team serve Thanksgiving meals, keep food pantry open

Palo Alto: Volunteers pick up Thanksgiving meal tradition after non-profit goes under

A beloved non-profit that supported the homeless community in Palo Alto shut down in October, but that didn’t stop its founders from giving back this Thanksgiving.

PALO ALTO, Calif. - A beloved non-profit that supported the homeless community in Palo Alto shut down in October, but that didn’t stop its founders from giving back this Thanksgiving. 

Gathering around a table of loved ones is not a gift everyone receives on holidays, but this Thanksgiving, those in need in Palo Alto were surrounded by helping hands.

"If we can still give them a place to have that family-style meal and have that connection, and community, that place to be, and that reason to belong, that’s incredibly important, and that’s worth getting out of bed for," Chris Richardson told KTVU. 

The Downtown Streets Team says more than 500 people were served between Thanksgiving and Friday. 

The backstory:

Chris Richardson and his mother, Eileen Richardson, founded the team more than two decades ago.

"We lost our parent non-profit, a lot of non-profits are going down right now, so it’s been much harder to organize a meal like this," Richardson said.  

After the nonprofit shut down this year, some wondered if its food pantry at All Saints Episcopal Church would close too.  

Eileen Richardson is the CEO of Peninsula Healthcare Connection, a non-profit that serves the unhoused community in Palo Alto. 

"The nonprofit that was running the food closet over here went under, and so we took it over. Sort of had to jump in there right away so that people didn’t miss any meals," Eileen Richardson said. 

Thanks to the Richardsons and other volunteers, the annual tradition of serving folks a hot meal on Thanksgiving and the day after also held strong.

What they're saying:

"When I serve people food, they are grateful, and they are like, ‘Thank you.’ And it just makes me happy because I get to see other people who don’t have as much and don’t always feel happy, be happy," said 13-year-old volunteer Aria Roichang. 

"Kids volunteering to help out the less fortunate, us, it’s great. What could be greater than teaching the value of giving," Tim, an unhoused man attending the event told KTVU. 

Guests and volunteers say giving back and being in the community are the best parts.

Kenneth manners is currently homeless too, but he still made time to volunteer for the Thanksgiving meals.

"The bible tells us to help neighbors and to give. It’s better to give than receive, but you get blessed," Manners said.