Thanksgiving meals and services offered downtown LA on Skid Row

For the first time, Los Angeles Mission and Hope the Mission partnered to offer the downtown LA community meals and services ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

About 2,500 turkey meals will serve those in need at the LA Mission on Skid Row on Wednesday.

"This is 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Someone can come to the mission here, any of the Hope the Mission sites and start that journey from languishing on the streets to being in a place without hope, on their way to a job and moving forward in life, free of any addiction,"  Rowan Vansleve, Hope the Mission president, said  "It's incredible work, and today is truly one of the highlights."

In addition to the meals served, clothing, free haircuts, manicures, and pedicures are offered to restore dignity and self-confidence.

"There's been a lot of assistance needed, especially with the SNAP benefits being taken away at the beginning of the month. We saw a huge need for groceries, which we were able to supply the community with. We got through that pretty well," Dennis Oleesky, LA Mission CEO, said.

"Now we're back on track for our regular programs."

Together, both partnering missions offer more than 3,000 beds across LA County for men, women, and families, providing both immediate relief and prevention to help stop homelessness before it begins.