SAN ANTONIO – An annual teacher Thanksgiving drive is dedicated to helping local educators have food on the table during the holidays.
The fifth annual Turkeys for Teachers is a drive-thru event that shows support to hundreds of educators who sign up.
Third-grade teacher Lucy Hernandez said she wanted to participate after learning about the drive from another educator.
She said teaching third-grade students can sometimes be a handful, but her favorite moments of encouraging students help her remember why she does it.
“You know, even teachers sometimes struggle, and teachers have big families,” Hernandez said. “It’s just very helpful to us, to our families, to our children to see that, you know, we do get a lot of love out there.”
Firstmark Credit Union partnered with H-E-B, Spurs Sports and Entertainment, HUB Investment Partners and the Lonnie Walker IV Foundation to arrange the Turkeys for Teachers event.
Approximately 1,000 teachers from around the area signed up for free Thanksgiving food.
“The energy is off the charts,” said Matthew Ralph, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Firstmark Credit Union. “I get goosebumps when it starts. Teachers are grossly underappreciated and underpaid, and when you see the teachers, their faces are lit up!”
Hernandez said the event helped her feel appreciated, and ensuring Thanksgiving would go smoothly is a welcome bonus.
She encourages teachers around the city to sign up for next year’s event, which Firstmark said it’s already preparing for.