Held on various days leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, the annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County Thanksgiving dinners are prepared by volunteer community members affiliated with the clubs. Photo contributed

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County is partnering with local businesses to bring Thanksgiving to its club members and their families this week

Held on various days leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, the annual Thanksgiving dinners are prepared by volunteer community members affiliated with the clubs. Local companies like NF Davis and Dayka & Hackett, as well as nationally recognized companies like Navia, US Bank and The Gap, volunteer to provide the meals prepared by volunteers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County President and CEO Diane Carbray said the event is one of the few times that the kids and families are in the club at the same time.

“This allows them to see how much fun their kids have and lets us show them we care,” said Sandra Dee Chaney, director of community relations & special events. “All of our donors and volunteer cooks have been a part of this tradition for many years and have made great connections with families. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”

The events also feature activities for both kids and their parents, and also gives them an opportunity to experience unfamiliar cultural traditions.

“I still remember a kid from Orange Cove that had never had a Thanksgiving meal until he’d come to the Boys & Girls Club,” Carbray said. “In our culture it’s a tradition that we always have, but not necessarily in other cultures; it’s a fun learning opportunity for everybody.”

As a whole, the clubs look to serve more than 1,000 children and their parents this Thanksgiving season. The Boys & Girls Clubs Juvenile Justice Campus — one of the organization’s larger clubs — expects to serve approximately 230 children and employees at their event.

Even smaller clubs like the one in Clovis expects around 100 children and their families, according to Tiara Rodriques, unit director at the Clovis club.

Children and their families will even be able to take home leftovers — something that Carbray said is a great opportunity for families in need this holiday season.

The Thanksgiving holiday meal kicks off a busy season for the club, with Christmas and other holiday programs just around the corner.

Carbray added that the clubs’ upcoming programs include “Adopt a Family,” an opportunity for local families to help support children at the clubs by helping provide gifts.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County also works with Toys for Tots during the holiday season, as well as organizations like Old Navy, The Gap and Banana Republic to provide gifts for the clubs’ teen clients.

The Thanksgiving dinners will take place at eight club locations throughout Fresno County. Carbray hopes the annual tradition helps foster a feeling of comfortability between parents and guardians and the organization as well as provide a good time for all involved.

“It’s great for the families to see the kids in the club, first of all just to see that it’s a safe facility that their kids are coming to every day,” she said. “It’s really just a huge volunteer effort for our kids and their families.”