WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Spanish flavors fill the air, and every crease and crevice of the turkey inside Elizabeth Perez's kitchen in Wilkes-Barre, as she prepares all the food that will be served up for United Blend's first-ever Thanksgiving meal giveaway.
"I usually put an apple on the turkey to give flavor and raisin," said Perez about her recipe. "Usually, I have music on, I start dancing. I just enjoy cooking,"
Perez is a founder of United Blend Community Center, which opened earlier this year in Wilkes-Barre. It's a safe space for anyone who faces language barriers- needs business help, socialization, or even the most basic needs.
"So you can come in and see what we do, and anything that you need help, if we don't have the answer, together, we will go out and find it for you," said Perez.
Needs, like food, shelter, clothing, and even a hot Thanksgiving meal. But, there's nothing traditional about this meal they're serving up Wednesday. Just like the center itself, it'll be a melting pot of flavors.
"If you go Sazón, you don't come back. You do not come back from that, ok?" laughs organizer Mercedes Rodriguez. "So definitely, you will have a mouth full of flavors."
Rodriguez is the owner of TailoredCreationz, and as a Hispanic-owned business owner, she wanted to help Perez in her mission.
The menu includes Dominican rice and a Puerto Rican-style ham.
"And a splash of rum," added Perez.
Flavors of the kitchen, handed down by Perez's late mother
"My mom, she used to cook a lot. She used to do a lot of meals, and we used to cook together," she explained.
Now, she's making those recipes for more people than ever with her friends, Rodriguez and Yameli Perez-Parrado, by her side. Perez-Parrado runs a similar mission to United Blend through social media.
"It is completely out of love, this whole event has been out of love," explains Rodriguez.
She says the meal was made possible through donations, and she hopes this is just the beginning.
"We have a full whole kitchen in the center, which is not active or in use yet. so we want to put it together to provide hot meals at least twice a week," said Perez,
Serving up more than just a meal this Thanksgiving.
"What she is doing, even though it's not for profit, it is for profit. Because our community is profiting off of it," said Rodriguez.
The hot meal giveaway begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at the United Blend Community Center on South Main Street in Wilkes Barre. It'll be open until the food runs out.