Orrin Herterich with Legos for Turkeys
It all began in October 1999. My brother Jeremiah age 15, and I age 11, were taking 70 quilts he had made (with help) from his Eagle project to Utah. We were giving them to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Humanitarian Aid Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. A lady walked past us as we were sitting in the lobby of the Directors office and saw our quilts with the labels on them that said “This quilt was made for you by many helpful hands”, she then asked, “do you have any extra quilts for me to take to Turkey in a couple weeks, to the mother’s and babies in the tent cities, where they are living after the terrible Earthquakes?”, my brother said “I have twenty five extra”.
When he gave the quilts to the woman, my mom was talking to her and she told my mom that the little kids in Turkey in the tent cities needed toys, something that they could put in their pockets, because there was no room in the tents to keep anything larger. I was sort of listening to the lady talking to my mom and I said “Lego’s would be perfect”. And the lady ignored me. So I went home and made some phone calls to the Lego Corporation and asked if they could help send some toys to Turkey, they said NO.
Then I asked the McDonald’s Restaurant by my house if they would let me buy just the Lego toys and not the meals (they had a promotion going in their Happy Meals where you got a set of Lego toys with your meal). The Franchise Owner said NO! He felt what I wanted to do was politically wrong. I was really frustrated and thought if I had to I would just buy the meals and give the food to the local school kids, and take the toys for the kids in Turkey.
I went home to my large Lego box and made as many little cars, boats, and planes as I could from my own Lego toys.
Boys in Turkey with Legos
Then my mom and I talked to the manager at the Mc Donald’s in Wal Mart when we were there buying a hamburger, he was very, very kind. He let us buy Lego’s at his McDonald’s without having to buy the food. The manager wanted to help. He sold us just the toy sets for one dollar each, and also offered us a deal that, for each two cases we bought he would donate one case. We got three cases I raised some of the money. My brother and two sisters gave me some money from their Christmas savings accounts for the Lego sets that were at McDonalds in the happy meals at the Wal Mart restaurant.
We called the lady in Utah and told her we got the toys, she told us to take them to the airport and air freight them to her because the next day she was going to Turkey, and she would hand deliver the toys with my brothers quilts. I was so sad that I could not go with her and see the kids getting the toys. She sent me an e-mail and told me about what happened when she gave the toys and quilts. I got some pictures later. It was such a good feeling to help. I kept collecting more money and was able to give more Lego sets to the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City. The total number of sets I was able to get together and send was 1,000.
The next year I was nominated and awarded a special recognition it was The Millennium Dreamer Award, given by Disney and McDonalds companies.
When it all comes together
Mickey Mouse Says Contratulations
I got that for what I did for the kids in Turkey. I was sent together with 1,999 other Millennium Dreamers from around the world, to Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Florida. We all celebrated three days of fun together as kids who want to make a difference in the world. While we were there Christopher Reeves talked to us, he encouraged us to keep doing good things for the rest of our lives. He told us we were the super heroes to him. Just before I went to Florida I heard about two other Millennium Dreamers, a brother and sister who started “Turkeys R Us” Dan and Betsy Nalley, they were on the Oprah show the day before we left for Florida. I saw them in Florida.
In November 2000 when I was reading in our newspaper about the local food pantry needing turkeys for Thanksgiving baskets and “Praying for Turkeys”, I thought of the Nalley’s and what they had done. And because I like to help I started helping in California like they were helping in Boston, Massachusetts. I have helped the local food pantries since then.
I helped the Nally kids in Boston for a year as their West coast representative, that was hard to work under them because it was hard for people to understand that the turkeys would stay here and not go to Boston.
Orrin with turkeys
I made the decision to start my own non-profit organization THANKSGIVING FOR ALL. My lawyer says, this association is a non-profit public benefit association and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the Non-profit Public Benefit Corporation Law for public purposes. THANKSGIVING FOR ALL is organized specifically to raise funds and find product sources to provide turkeys and other food stuffs to small community food pantries, homeless shelters, and other charitable organizations so that all less fortunate people can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The specific purpose of this corporation is to facilitate the donation of Turkeys and other foodstuffs to community pantries, homeless shelters and other charitable organizations for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
You can help too. Please Donate today!
HISTORY OF THANKSGIVINGFORALL.ORG
From the beginning
In November of 2000 I was in an article in the newspaper “Pantry Praying for Turkeys” I went to the Valle Vista Stater Bros. Supermarket near my home, I asked if I could buy turkeys at a discount with money I would raise. Using the money I raised overnight from friends and members of my church, I was able to buy 50 turkeys, celery, onions, apples, and I asked Agri Empire if they would donate some potatoes and they did. I gave these turkeys to our local Hemet/San Jacinto food pantry, for thier Thanksgiving Baskets
In 2001 again I raised money and with the help of Stater Bros. Corporate offices giving me special pricing again I gave out over three times what I did in 2000
In 2002 I was able to purchase and give over 1200 turkeys with the help of many donations expecially from new supporters Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Tribal Council and the Riverside County Board of Supervisors office of James Venable, who donated funds for the first time. Again the special pricing from Foster Farms and Stater Bros. really helped
In 2003 both the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Tribal Council and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians helped me with donations. Those who have helped me from the beginning again pitched in. The grocery store strike really affected my efforts but new friends and family members joined my efforts
In 2004 The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Tribal Council and the Soboba Casino along with the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians Tridal Council. Foster Farms and Stater Bros. helped with good prices. The Hemet Vally United Way and the Classified Senate from Mt. San Jacinto College proved me with generous donation. Several others who had helped me in past years donated to my cause and I was able to give 60,000 servings of turkeys.
In 2005 The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Tribal Council and the Soboba Casino once again were very kind to help. Their donation was incredibly generous. Pechanga Band of Mission Indians Tribal Council increased their donation and again Central County United Way, Mt. San Jacinto Classified Senate, and Dr. David Mata provided me with donations along with others who had helped in the past years. I added the Valle Vista Assembly of God Church and Mr. T’s Restaurant to my list of the people to give turkeys to. They feed the homeless and less fortunate who cannot cook a turkey. I was able to give 1150 turkeys bringing my total servings 120,000 since 2000. With YOUR help nearly every organization that helps less fortunate in the Hemet area had turkeys thru your donations.
In 2006 and 2007 I continued to receive donations from The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, and Pechanga Band of Mission Indians Central County United Way, and many other previous supporters. A miracle happened just days beforethe Thanksgiving of 2007, Soboba Casino called Central County United Way offering turkeys, they in turn called THANKSGIVING FOR ALL, and off I went. Renting a very large truck we drove from Temecula to Hemet and picked up nearly 750 turkeys. VNW Circle of Care was preparing to turn many families away with no Thanksgiving baskets, until I called them and asked if they would like 750 frozen turkeys. In just a couple days they were able to put together and pass out enough baskets to go with each and every turkey. They called it the “Turkey Miracle” of 2007.
2008-2010 I have continued to be supported by the Indian tribes in our area. Many of the original people who have helped me from the start are still donating. Stater Bros. and Murrieta Sam’s club are now letting me purchase turkeys in bulk. Thanks to the generous donations from Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Tribal Council I have been able to donate all the turkeys needed for the Valle Vista Assembly of God “Thanksgiving Feast”. I have gathered several small food pantries and organizations who really need help. They don’t get large grants and assistance from other locations.
Orrin age 13 Eagle Scout
