Eric Devendorf launches Thanksgiving dinner giveaway in Syracuse

Former Syracuse Orange basketball player Eric Devendorf has been a mainstay in the Central New York community since his basketball at SU wrapped in 2009. In recent years, Devendorf has launched coat drives and shoe drives, held basketball camps and clinics for kids and last year he initiated an effort to raise $130,000 in COVID relief funds for small businesses locally.

Now, Devendorf is continuing his service to the Central New York community in the form of a Thanksgiving dinner giveaway at the Well of Hope Church in Syracuse on Tuesday, Nov. 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone who needs a dinner or wants to help volunteer can show up. It’s an event open to the entire community.

“There will be a lot of people there but all the people that ask me I just tell them come through. The more the merrier,” Devendorf says. “I think it’s just a good experience for people regardless if they’re helping or not just to be there and see there’s a lot of people that need help.”

Dinners can be picked up free of charge, too. If you know anyone who can’t make it to the event, dinners can be picked up and brought to anyone in need.

“If you need a dinner or if you know somebody who needs one and they don’t have the transportation to pick it up, feel free to come pick it up for them. Last time we had a bunch of people come and pick up 30 dinners,” Devendorf said.

For anyone who wants to help out but is unable to make it to the church, folks can donate non-perishable food in the form of canned goods or boxes of stuffing. Goods can drop off at the Most Museum in downtown Syracuse during regular business hours.