Culture

Volunteering for Thanksgiving on Skid Row Like Going to the Oscars

LA!

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Want to volunteer to serve Thanksgiving dinner on skid row? Take a number — for next year.

Volunteer sign-ups at several downtown shelters closed in late September or October. During the final days before the holiday, coordinators were turning away up to 50 callers a day — some of whom insisted they would show up Thanksgiving Day, with or without an invitation.

"It's like getting a concert ticket," Midnight Mission spokeswoman Mai Lee said. "You have to sign up as soon as it's posted."