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COVID-19 puts extra pressure on soup kitchens this holiday in Kentuckiana; here's how agencies are adapting

The holidays are all about giving back and with Thanksgiving coming up soup kitchens are making some tough changes because of the coronavirus pandemic.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The holidays are all about giving back and with Thanksgiving coming up soup kitchens are making some tough changes because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

But they're still committed to serving as many people as possible. 

"I am cooking but there's only going to be five of us including myself," Louisville resident Valarie Jackson said. "Except when you're eating you have to have your mask on and they said fine otherwise you can't come to my house."

The gathering at the dinner table might not look the same this Thanksgiving. But for those who don't have a place to call home soup kitchens are always ready to step up

"We usually have a massive amount of volunteers who actually get the food for them, serve them get them drinks and make it a very special evening," director of development of St. Vincent de Paul Richard Flaherty said. 

The Open Hand Kitchen at St. Vincent de Paul won't have its traditional family dinner this holiday. Visitors will have to pick up meals to go.

"Unfortunately because of COVID it's going to change this year and we're going to miss that," Flaherty said. 

Across the river in Jeffersonville, The Community Kitchen Inc. will continue to sanitize tables, check temperatures and provide social distanced seats for those in need to eat inside.

"All this week we served more than 190 [meals] a day," operations manager at The Community Kitchen Richard Alexander said. "We'll serve the same way, we will have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans."

The Salvation Army Louisville is committed to feeding as many people as possible this holiday. 

"Normally we could do 200 at a time for a seating but I would expect that we would be seating probably 50 to 75," director of development at The Salvation Army Louisville Kelly Hutchinson said. 

For the most part, the annual Red Kettle Campaign will operate as normal this year with a new online option for people to send donations.

"The bell ringers this year will be wearing appropriate face masks and they'll have disposable aprons," Hutchinson said. "The funds that are raised are so important for helping those most in need in our community."

The Open Hand Kitchen is facing a shortage in donations and is asking for the community's help to donate turkeys or hams. To learn more click here

RELATED: How to help meet hunger needs in Louisville this winter

RELATED: Church program helping feed thousands in Louisville during pandemic

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