The 13th Annual Community Thanksgiving Meal was held last Tuesday November 23rd, at Casa Lopez. This event Co-Hosted by Inlakech Cultural Arts Center, The Port of Hueneme, Casa Lopez, and Chick-Fil-A, as well as the Oxnard Monday Club drew over 250 community members.
The meal which consisted of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, and sweet rolls, as well as other traditional fixings was cooked by volunteers and the hosts provided all of the main staples of the holiday dish. Elected officials from Oxnard and Port Hueneme City Councils were in attendance and rolled up their sleeves to help serve the food to residents of Oxnard.
Present at the event were Port of Hueneme Harbor Commissioner Jesse Ramirez, Oxnard Councilman Oscar Madrigal and Port of Hueneme Councilman Bobby Martinez, as well as longtime community Leader and Arts Activist Javier Gomez, who helped coordinate and organize the event. “It’s important that we don’t forget that our Port doesn’t end at the gate, that our community needs us and we are there to provide for them.” Said Jesse Ramirez, Commissioner for the Oxnard Harbor District. He among Port Staff and Inlakech Cultural Arts Center Volunteers passed out food, washed dishes, and cooked 30 turkeys, 10 hams, and enough pumpkin pie to feed those in need.
Live Karaoke was also in full effect and so the holiday cheer as abundant at Casa Lopez. There is a time and a place for collaborations to happen and for thirteen straight years Inlakech, Casa Lopez and The Port of Hueneme have come together to ensure that a nice, dignified thanksgiving meal can be had by community members.
The free meal is only one of the many activities put together by the Port and its community partners for the holidays. A Masa for tamales and food distribution is also in the works by the Port for the community of South Oxnard and will most likely take place on Saturday December 17th at Southwinds Park in South Oxnard. This is part of the Port of Hueneme’s “Committed to Community” drives which has distributed over 1.2 million lbs. of fresh produce and bananas to over 45,000 families in Ventura County.