This Thanksgiving, the YMCA of Snohomish County and Tapped Public House will deliver 6,000 fully cooked Thanksgiving meals to local families in need. Volunteers will bring a full holiday spread, from turkey to pumpkin pie, straight to families’ doors on Thanksgiving Day.

“Thanksgiving is the one holiday that’s built entirely around food. It’s about the dinner table and giving thanks for food and family, and that’s what we do every day,” said Sean Drought, co-owner of Tapped Public House. “Food is the last thing people cut, so when a family can’t afford a Thanksgiving meal, they’re in a really tough spot. We want to make it as easy as possible for families to gather and celebrate together.”

What began six years ago as Drought’s effort to meet a need in local schools has become a true community partnership, led alongside Cynthia Kelly, District Executive Director of the Mukilteo Family YMCA. What started as a single pickup location in Mukilteo serving 500 meals, now runs through five delivery hubs in Everett, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe and Mukilteo.

“Our families have a lot of need, and on the holidays it’s important for people to have a nutritious and delicious meal,” Kelly said. “This is our way of bringing all of our local community partners together so we can feed our community and make sure everybody has a meal at the table.” 

Cooking begins five days before Thanksgiving in three restaurant kitchens and includes more than 2,400 pounds of turkey. About 700 volunteers, including roughly 250 drivers, will prepare and deliver the meals, and all labor is donated. The effort is supported by the City of Mukilteo, local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, US Foods, Travis Industries, J2 Consulting, and the Boeing Leadership Network.

With meal requests expected to top 6,000, the need for donations and volunteers has never been greater. Just $60 provides a full Thanksgiving meal for a family of four. “The more participation we have this year, the more families we can serve next year,” Drought said.

Donations can be made at ymca.link/donate-meals. If you're interested in volunteering, contact Cynthia Kelly at ckelly@ymca-snoco.org