BenSmokin BBQ organizes community to host thanksgiving dinner

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A section edifice proprietor successful the Tower District is known for cooking up mouth-watering BBQ but connected Thanksgiving, helium volition beryllium doing truthful overmuch more.

A present viral video posted by BenSmokin BBQ with implicit 100,000 views has sparked a question bringing assemblage members unneurotic to signifier a Thanksgiving meal to service astir 1,000 radical successful need.

Bernard Mendoza is the proprietor and pit maestro of Ben Smokin BBQ.

Born and raised successful Fresno, Mendoza says his calling is feeding radical and this Thanksgiving, helium is taking action, organizing a vicinity meal to provender 1,000 radical successful need, paid for done donations and retired of his ain pocket--

"We're going to navigator a batch of turkeys and I fume them connected a cook them successful the oven," says Mendoza.

When helium posted this video to TikTok to denote his plan, Mendoza had nary hint the absorption and magnitude of enactment helium would receive.

"We've had a bounce location institution scope retired and privation to donate a mates of bounce houses for the kids. A porta-potty concern is going to donate a porta-potty and a hand-washing sink, truthful we're acceptable to provender the masses for sure," helium says.

For Mendoza, this is personal. In airy of cuts to national nutrient assistance, helium says his assemblage needs the assistance present much than ever.

My woman and I were connected SNAP erstwhile we archetypal started surviving unneurotic and starting our household and worldly and inactive moving and the biggest misconception, I think, retired determination is radical connected SNAP are lazy and don't privation to work," said Mendoza. "I spot those comments. We've got to bash amended and we tin bash amended astir that."

Mendoza started cooking up BBQ plates retired of his location during the pandemic and is present a vicinity staple, with a brick-and-mortar, located successful the Tower District.

This Thanksgiving, utilizing the determination to service his assemblage successful a bigger way.

BenSmokin has acceptable up an online signifier for volunteers to motion up and connection their time. They are besides accepting donations to spell towards the Thanksgiving meal, you tin find a nexus here.

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