Mozel Sanders finding silver lining despite swapping turkey for chicken this Thanksgiving

INDIANAPOLIS — A Thanksgiving tradition for more than 50 years will be done a bit differently this year.

But folks at Mozel Sanders are still hoping to spread holiday cheer despite a change in the main dish on Thanksgiving Day.

Because of the cost of turkey and supply chain issues, the nonprofit has decided they will serve chicken instead of turkey.

"Supply chain issues, bird flu, the war in Ukraine, anything you can think of," Stephen Sanders said. "Just the price of turkey has went up. The price on anything really."

Mozel Sanders is still finding a bright spot to provide meals to anyone who needs one on Thanksgiving day.

"We are Hoosiers doing what we do," Sanders said. "Feeding the hungry, helping the young kids (and) trying to bring everything."

Finding the bright spot can be hard this time of year.

Kimble Richardson, a licensed mental health counselor with Community Health Network said this time of year it can be easy to fall into depression.

"When we have less light which we do in Indianapolis during the winter time, people can get somewhat more down in their mood and for some people even depressed," Richardson said.

Richardson said there are things you can do to try to fix that.

"It's really a mindset change and in some cases just doing that can be as or even more effective than medications by themselves," Richardson said. "Thinking about what you do has some of the positives in your life, versus the negatives, really is a practice. You might think about what you're blessed about or grateful for."

That is exactly what Mozel Sanders is hoping to do this Thanksgiving.

"We're not going to let a bird stop us from flying per se," Sanders said.

The deadline to request a delivered Thanksgiving meal from Mozel Sanders has passed, but they will still offer hot meals at various locations across the city.

When locations and times are released, we will update this story.