(This article was written by Steven Hughes and was featured in the November 2024 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine.)
It’s a madhouse of excited and hungry community members gathering in Harlingen to grab a plate of a delicious Thanksgiving meal by H-E-B. Hundreds of locals gathered at one of Harlingen’s event centers, waiting in line for the free meal. After enjoying their free meal and endless conversations with loved ones, H-E-B Feast of Sharing goers return to normalcy with happy smiles and stomachs with anticipation for next year.
“Filled with food, music, and good cheer, these free holiday feasts are open to the public and bring together family, friends and neighbors,” H-E-B’s newsroom wrote on its Feast of Sharing webpage.
H-E-B’s Feast of Sharing began in 1989 as part of the company’s Hunger Relief Program, an effort to curb hunger year-round since 1982, according to H-E-B’s newsroom. Feast of Sharing has provided over 4 million free traditional Thanksgiving meals thanks to the power of the past 300,000 volunteers over the decades.
I volunteered during the 2016 Feast of Sharing while in my junior year of high school, being a member of the Texas Association for Future Educators (TAFE). It was a fun excuse to not be in school and do what I love: helping the community. Although I felt nervous about doing a sufficient job for the hungry guests and TAFE, it went wonderfully.
I pushed around a trash can on wheels with a mesh-like lid to drain the remaining soda from stomach-filled guests, then used a traditional trash can to toss the metal soda cans. According to MyRGV, that year saw approximately 9,000 attendees. It was worth seeing people enjoying a free meal in Harlingen.
Of course, volunteers also got a free meal at the end of the event; this is a time for appreciation, after all. It was delicious, and I’m a sucker for turkey and free food, being the occasional “turkey baby” for when my birthday falls on Thanksgiving. (Please note that turkey is not always served as the main course at the Feast of Sharing.)
The 2024 H-E-B Feast of Sharing will happen from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the Harlingen Convention Center at 701 Harlingen Heights Drive. H-E-B will host the free event throughout the state of Texas and Mexico on multiple dates through November and December.
For more information or to volunteer, visit H-E-B’s Feast of Sharing website, https://newsroom.heb.com/heb-feast-of-sharing-calendar/.
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