A local group prepares 600 thank you meals for Oklahoma’s HIV/AIDS community
Other Options, Inc. owns A program called Cookie’s and Scotty’s Thanksgiving, which began many years ago with local chef Scotty Irani.
“A friend of his recently came out and was diagnosed with AIDS, and during the holidays he didn’t have a family that would accept him,” said board member David Rackley. “So (Scotty) decided he was going to be that family.”
Scotty teamed up with Cookie Arbuckle, hence the name Cookie and Thanksgiving Scotty.
“Many of our customers are still isolated and lonely, so this is a great time to welcome them,” said Other Options CEO Cher Golding. “Food is love. You can really get that shared experience.
Now, decades later, volunteers are preparing Thanksgiving meals.
“I love what the organization stands for. I love the population they serve, and to me this is just a part of the community that is underserved,” said volunteer Jennifer Burch.
On Thanksgiving Day, meals will be delivered to 600 customers. All they have to do is reheat pre-prepared meals.
“For us, doing all the work and providing this (…) takes a lot of stress away,” Golding said.
To learn about volunteer opportunities in other options, click here.
“Honestly, I don’t feel like this is the holiday season if we don’t volunteer with Other Options,” Burch said.
(tags for translation) Scotty Irani
