At one point during her visit to The Record-Courier building on Tuesday, 5-year-old Madison Patton reached out and pulled her mother's head towards her in a warm embrace.
It was an example of the kind of tenderness and humanity that mother Liz Patton is hoping to inspire with a turkey drive today and Saturday and a greater food donation the day before Thanksgiving.
"We have a lot of people hurting in our own community," Patton explained. "There are so many things we can do to reach out and help. Let's be thankful for the things we have and help others."
Patton, 29, is a lab assistant at the Carson Valley Medical Center and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. She and husband Chris, who owns Gardnerville Spa & Pool, live in the Ranchos with their two children, Madison, and Nathan, 7.
Patton said it was the hardship she witnessed in the community, the ongoing struggle and suffering of good people, that compelled her to reach out. On Wednesday, starting at noon, she and her church's youth group will be handing out 40 food boxes at the Dayspring Christian Assembly, 974 Tillman Lane. No paperwork is required to receive a box.
"Anyone who needs one please come by and pick one up, no questions asked," Patton said. "Forty seemed like a good place to start."
Costco already donated 40 pumpkin pies and rolls. Grocery Outlets in Reno and Carson City donated 40 boxes of stuffing, canned yams, cranberry sauce and gravy.
Now, the Patton family is looking for a few good birds. They'll be overseeing a turkey drop in the Smith's parking lot in Gardnerville, 1341 Highway 395, from 3-7 p.m. today and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The goal is to procure at least 40 turkeys to accompany the aforementioned fixings. Any turkeys above and beyond that goal will be handed out a la carte on Wednesday. Leftovers will be donated to the Carson Valley Community Food Closet.
With help from the community, Liz Patton hopes to start a Thanksgiving tradition.
"The No. 1 way to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be a servant," she said. "Our church's No. 1 focus now is to minister to the hurt and broken."
Patton thanked Gayle Knight of Costco, Dave and Linne Cox of the Carson City Grocery Outlet, and Joe Abinanti and Jennifer Thornton of the Reno Grocery Outlet for their donations.
For more information, call Patton at (775) 450-5331.
