Master-at-arms third class Jorge Medrano was stationed in San Diego two years ago. He recently had to find more affordable housing.
“We just finished moving because, as you know, in San Diego (the cost of) rent keeps going up, so we had to move,” he said.
The high cost of rent tacked on with moving expenses put a financial strain on Medrano and he did not know where his
Thanksgiving meal for his family would come from.
“Because of the move, it’s hard to make ends meet this Thanksgiving,” Medrano said.
He was one of 594 families selected to receive a free frozen turkey as part of National City Mayor Ron Morrison’s ninth annual Turkey Giveaway event at Las Palmas Elementary School.
In total, the event distributed a record 594 turkeys to needy families. All turkeys were donated by National City businesses.
Families were selected by the local school districts and the U.S. Navy to receive a free turkey, a free two-liter drink and a personal invitation to the mayor’s annual Christmas party.
Medrano said it is him, his wife and mother-in-law who get together for Thanksgiving and every year he invites a few of his Navy friends, who are far from home, to celebrate with them.
He said if it weren’t for the free turkey he most likely would not be able to invite his friends over to have a Thanksgiving meal with him.
Medrano was not the only one thankful for a free frozen turkey.
Blanca Rodriguez, 56, said she lives off of disability income while her daughter helps support her and her child with income from a minimum wage job.
Rodriguez said thanks to this event her family will get to gather for Thanksgiving this year.
“What we earn is not enough to be feeding us for Thanksgiving,” she said. “So this is a special treat.”
Morrison said he continues to host this event because of the need in the community.
“Turkeys are not that cheap,” he said. “And so they (families) cannot afford to have a Thanksgiving. By the time you pay rent and everything else there is nothing left. So this is an opportunity for the community to enjoy a Thanksgiving.”
Morrison said when the event was first held nine years ago they only gave out about 25 turkeys. Nine years later that number increased to 594.
