Thielen Foundation donates Thanksgiving meals
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen and his wife, Caitlin, on Tuesday joined forces with The Salvation Army to distribute 200 Thanksgiving dinners for local families, on behalf of the Thielen Foundation.
Caitlin Thielen spent the morning at the Central Minneapolis Salvation Army handing out grocery bags filled with ham and fixings for a Thanksgiving feast. A long line of people showed up to pick up the meals, including a local woman named Sonseray.
“This is a really big help because times are tough nowadays,” said Sonseray, who is disabled and lives with severe asthma.
Captain Blake Fewell, leader of the Central Minneapolis Salvation Army, knows firsthand how important these Thanksgiving meals will be to people in his community.
“We have a lot of families who are still experiencing pandemic poverty, especially as eviction moratoriums end,” he said. “Meals like this help free up finances for people so that they don’t have to worry about Thanksgiving – they can just enjoy it with their families. We’re thankful for this donation.”
This is the fourth year that the Thielen Foundation has partnered with The Salvation Army to distribute Thanksgiving dinners. The hams were donated to the Thielen Foundation by Hy-Vee stores, an employee-owned regional grocery store chain with 14 Twin Cities locations.
“The pandemic shows no sign of ending soon, and Twin Cities families continue to experience enormous hardship right now,” said Adam Thielen, foundation president. “We want to thank Hy-Vee for supplying these hams, and we thank The Salvation Army for again helping to get these dinners into the hands of families in need.”
You can do something good this holiday season by donating to The Salvation Army, volunteering, or ringing bells at a Red Kettle. Your help will provide food, shelter and care for local families in need. Because of you, Hope Marches On.