Champs help Feed the Homeless

Early Thanksgiving meals served at Rescue Mission Fresh turkey with all the trimmings and delicious pumpkin pie were served to the homeless this past weekend by some of Los Angeles’ best local fighters: Israel Vazquez, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Alfonso Gomez, Paul Banke, Bobby Chacon, and Walter Sarnoi all came out to volunteer their time at the Union Rescue Mission’s annual Thanksgiving free meal giveaway for the poor and needy during Saturday’s three-hour street festival. The majority of us have all been guilty on occasions of carefully avoiding panhandlers or shunning “the bums” we see toting their sparse worldly possessions in tattered bags or in plastic grocery carts. But on this afternoon, all of the homeless men, women, and children in the Los Angeles, California area were provided with a full plate of hot and healthy food, and most importantly, treated with dignity and respect–if only for one day. This was a role reversal, as hundreds of more fortunate volunteers waited hand and foot on the poor, catering to all of the homeless guests. My vote for MVP goes to the group of truly unselfish volunteers who arrived at 1:30 a.m. to prepare the turkeys for the feast, cooking them outside in the dark streets of downtown L.A.–now that’s dedication! And if you thought this was just a photo op for the fighters that participated in the meal serving, you thought wrong. The boxers were for real–getting right in the action–and hustling to help make sure each person received turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and more, working for an hour and a half in the blazing sun before taking a break. Fan favorite Israel Vazquez said, “I’m very happy to be here. It’s a privilege to help the many people that need it.” The super bantamweight warrior was more than willing to oblige the homeless. After serving one lady her meal, the woman told the champ “there was “too much meat and not enough vegetables” on her plate. So Vazquez, with a quick grin and not a word said, quietly went back to the crowded buffet line in front of the rescue mission to fulfill her request. http://myboxingfans.com/2008/11/champs-help-feed-the-homeless/ http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r302/alphaqfrankie/bobbyisrael.jpg http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r302/alphaqfrankie/israelserves.jpg http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r302/alphaqfrankie/israelplate.jpg http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r302/alphaqfrankie/lopezandre.jpg