Thursday, November 27, 2025

Union Station Homeless Services Serves Up Hot Thanksgiving Meals Under Sunny Skies at Annual “Dinner in the Park”

With EDDIE RIVERA

Union Station Homeless Services continued its more than 50?year tradition Wednesday, serving hundreds of hot Thanksgiving meals to Pasadena residents at its Adult Center on Raymond Avenue, while projecting a total service of about 8,000 meals over three days this week amid rising food insecurity and cuts to federal food benefits.

Under a bright sun and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 80s, community members lined up in long drive?thru pickup lines stretching down the block or sat at rows of tables set up in the parking lot, sharing turkey and traditional sides with neighbors and volunteers.

The nonprofit reported a steep increase from 6,000 meals in 2024 to an anticipated 8,000 this year. CEO Katie Hill said, “Every year we say that the need grows. It truly does,” noting a 30 percent annual increase in demand.

The event drew support from elected officials, celebrities and community sponsors.

Actress Adina Porter volunteered alongside Rep. Laura Friedman, D?Burbank; Pasadena Councilmember Jessica Rivas; Pasadena Housing Director Jim Wong; and state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez.

Former Van Halen singer and Pasadena resident David Lee Roth contributed sizable donations and reportedly joined volunteers in serving meals. The Green Foundation donated $25,000, while BIGO Live pledged $15,000. Hill also credited longtime support from the Kardashian family and Union Station board members.

Union Station faced significant challenges leading into the holiday. Rising grocery prices and federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program rollbacks affecting about 17,000 Pasadena residents contributed to what Hill described as “unprecedented” demand.

Despite those concerns, Union Station distributed 800 Thanksgiving meal kits on Nov. 19, exceeding expectations by 300 households, and also prepared hot meals for more than 400 residents across supportive housing facilities earlier in the week.

Volunteers carved more than 200 turkeys at the Pasadena Convention Center in preparation for Wednesday’s service.

The program emphasized accessibility and dignity, requiring no identification to receive a meal. Guests were welcome to dine on?site or take meals home to share with family and household members.

“Our community has proven time and again that it will show up, especially when we need it the most,” said Tian Martinez, Union Station’s associate director of marketing and communications.

Union Station Homeless Services, which serves 32 cities across the San Gabriel Valley, has operated the longest?running Thanksgiving meal program in Pasadena. What began decades ago as a small gathering in Central Park has evolved into a multi?day, multi?location initiative, reflecting both tradition and the growing need in the region.