"Yinzgiving" serving 1,200 meals to Pittsburghers in need

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Some local businesses are teaming up to share delicious meals on Thanksgiving morning.

"We're still roasting turkeys. We have 1,200 portions of pumpkin pie to put up today. We put together the 2,500 portions of gravy and cranberry sauce yesterday," said Brian Simpson, Dive Bar & Grille executive regional chef.

Yinzgiving is a collaborative effort between Dive Bar & Grille, ACORx Pharmacy, and marketing company, Ten Four Social.

Pittsburghers know how to help one another, especially during the holidays. The tradition is in its fourth year, and was recently dubbed Yinzgiving. They are cooking 1,2000 warm meals with gratitude.

"It's just unbelievable how we went from 300 to 600, kind of dialed it back last year to 350, and then this year we got super ambitious and decided to ramp things up and go for broke so now it's 1,200," said Dive Bar & Grille partner Clint Kuskie.

Former Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster started the meal distribution effort and he still donates to help as the tradition grows into its fourth year. 

"For the last three years, we've always just called it our Thanksgiving Day meal distribution, and this year we thought, 'what is it really at the core of the messaging?' and it's truly how the Pittsburgh community has come together, so we branded it Yinzgiving," said Rachel Maga, president of Ten Four Social. 

Here's where yinz can step in and help. More than 100 volunteers are expected to package meals on Thanksgiving morning at the Dive Bar & Grille location on Babcock Boulevard. Volunteers will then deliver the meals to people in need in and around Pittsburgh.

Kuskie and Simpson said the response has been overwhelming this year.

"The response I have from our employees at Dive Bar who want to come in and volunteer, it's just an overwhelming, good heartfelt thing this time of the season just to give back and give to those who are less fortunate," Simpson said.

The turkey and all the fixings will brighten the holiday for many Pittsburghers, including ACORx Pharmacy patients who they deliver medications to every month.

"My favorite part about it and what I'm looking forward to most is seeing the faces of these people when we deliver these meals. I'm actually the one making the calls sometimes too so to hear their voices through the phone light up when I offer them Thanksgiving meals is amazing," said ACORx Pharmacy business director Regis Nairn.

They still need some volunteer drivers. Anyone interested in donating can fill out a registration form. Donations for Yinzgiving can be made online. Any extra monetary donations will go to other nonprofit organizations like Heroes Supporting Heroes to go toward its Operation Santa event for military families.