Lake Charles U-Haul Team Serves Free Thanksgiving Lunch to Locals

U-Haul opened its heart, its parking lot and its wood-fired smokers to the residents of Lake Charles and surrounding Louisiana communities who had been impacted by Hurricanes Laura and Delta to offer a free Thanksgiving lunch.

Jerry Bowden, U-Haul Company of South Central Louisiana president, gathered a large crew of volunteers at U-Haul Moving & Storage at Hwy. 14 in Lake Charles for the Nov. 25 event.

“We were thrilled to provide a full, complimentary Thanksgiving meal to our community members who have endured such a trying year,” Bowden said. “This was our way to make Thanksgiving a little better for countless customers and neighbors around Lake Charles.”

Community Support

Thanks to the donations of U-Haul Team Members, and the volunteer efforts of two pit masters and several sous chefs on staff, U-Haul served more than 300 delicious Thanksgiving meals consisting of smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, creamed corn and Cajun-style dressing.

Food was shared utilizing health and safety protocols. The drive-thru event enabled patrons to remain socially distanced and receive food in their cars — a plate for every person in the vehicle.

People began lining up at 9 a.m. for the free Thanksgiving lunch, which was served at noon.

Disaster Relief

U-Haul also extended 30 days of free self-storage to Lake Charles residents, providing a measure of storm relief before and after the two hurricanes that devastated the community over a stretch of just a few weeks.

In addition to its 30 days free self-storage disaster relief program, U-Haul is proud to be at the forefront of aiding communities in times of need as an official American Red Cross Disaster Responder.

“Lake Charles dealt with two hurricanes this season and the U-Haul team has really stepped up,” said Brett Hogan, U-Haul area district vice president. “They not only served the community, but also helped each other during these times.”

Thanks to the U-Haul Team Members and their families who made this free community lunch possible: Jerry Bowden, Valerie Simet, Emily Upshaw, Guy Lohr Jr., Sheraton McKay, Dwight Farr Jr., Diane Bertin, Christina Ward, Kayden Kijanski, Jason Kidd, Zack Lohe, Blake Orr and Zack Gradney.

Learn how U-Haul is benefitting the communities it serves by visiting the “In the Community” section on myuhaulstory.com, or discover more about our philanthropic objectives by clicking here.

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