Thanksgiving marks the unofficial beginning of the Holiday Season when Americans come together to celebrate all our blessings with family, friends and loved ones.  Acknowledging and sharing our good fortune with family and friends makes it only natural that during this time we often look for opportunities to share our abundance with those less fortunate.

Each year Gary Levitt, Vice-President of Sequoia Productions, and his partner Mark Hill have a special reason to look forward to Thanksgiving weekend.  Carrying on a tradition Mark started in 1996, they deliver food to families in need on Thanksgiving.  “We start cooking the day before Thanksgiving and cook throughout the night.  Come morning after the Turkeys and sides are cooked, we package up all the food and create meal boxes for each family including the food, dessert, individual snacks for the children, breads, butter, drinks, plates, napkins and utensils. Basically everything one would need to eat the meal.  Then we load up our cars and we deliver these home-made dinners to 2 or 3 Los Angeles families.”

Various local institutions, such as The Salvation Army, local churches and temples, even hospitals, can facilitate the donation of prepared food to in-need families. In some cases the agency delivers the prepared meals, asking for either donations of uncooked food items or monies to purchase the uncooked food.  However, Gary and Mark always enjoy the opportunity to deliver the feast themselves, when possible, and work with organizations that put them in direct contact with the families.  “For us it’s not just about the food, it is also an opportunity to connect with others and to learn about their current situation.  The personal connection reminds us of our own good fortune, but we also love getting to interact with the families, especially the children who are always excited when they learn we didn’t forget about them!”

“We actually feel very grateful that we can participate in some small way in sharing the abundance of the season. Once we return home, we begin preparations for our own Thanksgiving dinner and it’s all the more delicious as we celebrate filled with the memories of the day’s events from the families who have touched our lives.”

Mark has generously provided his recipes for Luxurious Mashed Potatoes, Roast Rosemary Thyme Turkey, and Rustic Pumpkin Pie.