Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner Won't Host In-Person Event This Year

Like most major events this year, the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner will continue in 2020, but it'll look different.

The San Antonio tradition usually brings 25,000 people to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center for a plate of turkey, stuffing, green beans, and of course, pumpkin pie. With the pandemic, hosting that many people in one place is impossible so the nonprofit will deliver Thanksgiving meals to those in need instead.

“This year, our goal is to feed up to 10,000 seniors and homeless through a homebound delivery system,” said Jessica Jimenez, Raul Jimenez’s granddaughter, told KSAT.

For the last 10 years, the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner has been delivering meals to seniors and other home-bound citizens, but the number of deliveries it makes are only a fraction of the thousands of meals it serves at the Convention Center. Last year, the nonprofit delivered 3,000 meals across the city, and now, it's planning to scale up that operation for 2020.

Like years past, the organization will still need volunteers to help cook and prep the dinners. However, instead of an army of volunteers, the organization will only need a battalion. Volunteer registration isn't open yet, but it'll need less than the 5,000 who helped last year. The organization will announce more information about volunteering on its social media channels closer to Thanksgiving.

“Despite it being different and feeling a bit different, it’s still a very strong cause that we are very proud to be able to carry on,” Jessica Jimenez told the San Antonio Express News.

Restaurant owner Raul Jimenez started the event in 1979 so that senior citizens could have a traditional holiday meal even if they couldn't cook it themselves or were alone. Since then, it has grown into a city tradition that provides a turkey dinner and dessert for anyone who asks.

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