A free hot meal was provided to approximately 500 neighbors in need.
The event was "grab and go" to align with safety requirements.

During this time of increased isolation and need, charitable activities like Los Angeles refinery’s Feast in the Park are critical to our community members who have limited access to food. For more than two decades, area residents have come together for this annual Thanksgiving event organized by refinery employees and contractors.

“This year the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives in profound and unprecedented ways,” said Olga Chavez, community affairs representative at Marathon Petroleum. “I am humbled and proud to work for a company that continues to support the community during these difficult times and its employees who, for the past 22 years, have continued to give back to those in need.”

At the event, which was restructured as “grab and go” to align with safety requirements, refinery employees and contractors provided a free, hot meal to approximately 500 neighbors in need. In addition, through a partnership with the Wilmington Rotary Club, hundreds of residents also received toiletry kits, which included hand sanitizer.

“This Thanksgiving season is truly a time that merits reflecting, and I am so proud of the response of our club and our partners, like Marathon Petroleum, for putting on events like today's meal distribution,” shared Lucia Moreno-Linares, president of the Rotary Club of Wilmington District 5280. “What we did here today is about human kindness – taking care of people’s most basic needs, like feeding the hungry and protecting the most vulnerable.”

While this year’s Feast in the Park looked a bit different, spirits were lifted, and the tradition continued.