Pastor says county-backed 'Giving Thanksgiving' will serve 500 families in Calallen

Pastor Rod Young of Church of Hope told the Nueces County commissioners court on Nov. 18 that the church, with sponsorship from Commissioner Ponceley, will provide Thanksgiving dinners, turkeys and groceries to about 500 families in Calallen.

Young said the giveaway is tied to a fundraising golf event sponsored by Ponceley. "We're gonna be serving 500 families ... with Thanksgiving dinners, turkeys, and all the trimmings and groceries to go with it," Young said. He added that the effort would "touch around 4 to 5000 people," and thanked county officials for partnering with the program.

The court convening was certified at 9 a.m. and a quorum was noted; no formal county action, vote or directive about the Thanksgiving event was recorded in the portion of the meeting where Young spoke. The meeting record did not specify the date of the distribution or further logistical details such as pick-up locations, volunteer sign-up, or funding breakdowns.

Young framed the project as a season-of-thanksgiving effort and thanked Commissioner Ponceley specifically for sponsoring the golf fundraiser that supports the work. Officials at the hearing did not provide additional details about county funding or administrative support for the distribution during the meeting.

The announcement came during opening remarks and public-facing acknowledgments; any further county involvement, permits or direct assistance was not discussed on the record at the time Young spoke.