The Mozel Sanders Foundation is ready to serve 10,000 meals to those in need on Thanksgiving Day!

20,000 cookies are currently being baked by Chef Whitney Barnett, owner of CIBO Catering, all to benefit the Mozell Sanders foundation and their Thanksgiving Dinner.

Amora Scott, director of fund development for Mozel Sanders, and Barnett joined us Wednesday on “Life.Style.Live!” to share how their partnership came about and how they plan to get all of these cookies baked in time for Thanksgiving.

Stephen Mozel Sanders and John Lawson, logistics manager, also joined us to discuss the satellite locations serving free Thanksgiving meals and how you or someone you know can get one.

Area kitchens are also pitching in to help feed hungry families for this Thursday.

The Mozel Sanders Foundation has again enacted a “Plan B” to be able to feed families this year for Thanksgiving.  

Area churches and kitchens are pitching in to make sure that no one goes hungry this year. “Our goal is to feed 10,000 people this year, even with the continuing challenges of COVID-19,” states Stephen Mozel James Sanders, CEO of Mozel Sanders Foundation. “It’s much less than we normally do, but we are still committed to providing meals this year.” 

 In the past, The Foundation has run operations for Thanksgiving Day from Atherton Hall at Butler University, but again this year, due to social distancing, that location would not work. This year marks the 51st year for serving families on Thanksgiving for the Mozel Sanders Foundation. Please see attached Thanksgiving Day Schedule for media opportunities.  

“We feel good about our partners for this year and how everyone has come together again,” shares Stephanie Sanders, COO of Mozel Sanders Foundation. 

 “Being in our 51st year, we couldn’t stop our mission because of continued coronavirus concerns. We knew we had to press forward and feed the people. 

Mozel Sanders Foundation, Inc. is the longest family-run organization in the country feeding the most people on Thanksgiving Day. “We believe that a healthy mind begins with a full stomach so that is what fuels us to do what we do. We also give away groceries twice a month from our base location Mt. Vernon Community Missionary Baptist Church, 709 N. Belmont Avenue, Indianapolis IN 46222,” shares Stephen Sanders.

For more information about Mozell Sanders, click here.

For more about Chef Whitney and CIBO, click here.

THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY MOZEL SANDERS FOUNDATION.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Feeding families on Thanksgiving is a tradition at the Mozel Sanders Foundation. For nearly half a century, one local Hoosier has volunteered in the kitchen to help others. At 91 years old, she is still going strong and says she doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

Though 45 years have passed, Anna Taylor remembers it like yesterday when her late husband, a pastor from the south, joined forces with Rev. Mozel Sanders.

“They were really good friends. They were raised in Canton, Mississippi together. Mozel came here first, and then we came. They got back together,” Taylor said.

Those humble beginnings would lead her toward a life of serving others.

“I was up there working with them. It is just something to help people. I don’t think you can beat that,” Taylor said.

Taylor spent countless hours on her feet peeling, chopping, slicing, and preparing food in the kitchen for the annual Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Day. Never did she imagine she would help pave the way for the foundation to grow to feed thousands.

“I thought it would be something just at the church, but now it is all over. It makes you feel good,” Taylor said.

The 91-year-old retired educator also served Rev. Sanders as a nurse at Mt. Vernon church until his passing.

“It’s still my home church. I am not going anywhere until the good Lord comes and gets me,” Taylor said.

While the legacy of Mozel Sanders lives on, Taylor has these words of wisdom to pass on to the next generation of volunteers.

“Do the best that you can do,” Taylor said.

The Mozel Sanders Foundation is gearing up for the annual Thanksgiving meal, and they are searching for volunteers to help bake cookies!

Dawn Jordan Jones and Mike Ruggiero from the Mozel Sanders Foundation joined us today to discuss the urgent request.

Volunteers are needed at The Flannery House today and Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

To volunteer in this effort, contact CIBO Catering & Events. Chef Whitney (317) 213-6361. www.positivefoodievibes.com. 

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Mozel Sanders Foundation is making big strides to ensure that all students are able to pursue their dreams and achieve higher education.

This comes as the foundation nears its annual Thanksgiving dinner in partnership with WISH-TV and the Financial Center First Credit Union.

For many years, the Mozel Sanders Foundation, which is based at the Mt. Vernon Community Missionary Baptist Church has served hundreds of thousands of people and this year they’re pushing to do more.

The Mozel Sanders Foundation is known for feeding those in need, but the organization does much more.

• Mozel Sanders Foundation sauces support feeding hungry, Indy Trucks donates van
• Mozel Sanders Foundation to feed Thanksgiving dinner to thousands of families

“This is great. We love doing this every year. We’ve done it for the last 16 years. It’s just so empowering to give back,” the vice president of Financial Wellness at the Financial Center First Credit Union, Jamie Davidson, said.

One by one, 11 high school and middle school students received hundreds of dollars in scholarship money for a headstart on their college savings.

“This is our future and this scholarship gets them a jumpstart and it empowers them to know that they can go out and make a difference,” the chief operating officer at the Mozel Sanders Foundation, Stephanie Sanders, said.

“It is very important because some kids are excelling more than others in class and this scholarship is for the ones that maybe were making Cs and now are making Bs. Maybe they were talkative in class and now have a better attitude,” the CEO of the Mozel Sanders Foundation, Stephen Sanders, said.

Devon Franklin is a student at Westlane Middle School and a Reverend Roosevelt Sanders Empowerment Scholarship recipient. Franklin says she loves giving back to her community by supporting the homeless.

“I really want to go to college all my life. I want to go to either Purdue or IUPUI. I love Purdue,” Franklin said. “It only takes a bit of time to help people and even if you only do it for like ten minutes it really helps people and they appreciate anything.”

Sanders says in partnership with Financial Center First Credit Union the scholarship honors her late husband Rev. Roosevelt Sanders and empowers children and adults.

“A little bit over $60,000 over the last 16 years. We’d love to give more every year if we can. Look forward to this every year. Love it. We do the scholarships and then we do the annual Thanksgiving dinner with them as well, which we love,” Davidson said.

The Mozel Sanders Foundation also gives away groceries every second Thursday of the month at the Mt. Vernon Community Missionary Baptist Church.

Amora Scott, Director of Fund Development for Mozell Sanders Foundation, joined us Tuesday on “Life.Style.Live!” to discuss the foundation’s upcoming Thanksgiving dinner for the those in need and to give us a taste of the sauces that you can purchase to support their cause.

This includes the Mozel Sanders Smooth & Spicy BBQ Sauce and Mozengo Mango Habanero Hot Sauce.

About the Mozel Sander Foundation:

In 1959, Reverend Dr. Mozel Sanders was appointed Pastor of Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Dr. Sanders diligently worked to serve the needs of his congregation as well as the surrounding community. As a result of his efforts, he received numerous awards and statewide recognition, such as a housing project and a street renamed in his honor. Dr. Sanders probably became best known for his longstanding desire to feed those in need, thus sparking the creation of the annual “Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Day Dinner.” This program established his church as a beacon of light for the urban communities of greater Indianapolis. After Dr. Mozel Sanders’ passing in 1988, his son, Reverend Roosevelt Sanders, continued his father’s work by answering the call as both Pastor of Mount Vernon and as a servant of the community, which led to the formation of the Mozel Sanders Foundation (MSF). Approximately seven years ago, the Foundation began monthly distributions of approximately 30,000 pounds of groceries, personal hygiene products, and household cleaning supplies to those in need. From its humble beginnings at Mount Vernon, over the past 10 years, the Foundation has grown to include 40 satellite distribution locations consisting of churches, care facilities, and community service centers. To this day, Butler University remains the flagship for food preparation. Despite our loss in 2010 of another great leader, the late Reverend Roosevelt Sanders, the Foundation has served more than 40,000 hot meals to needy families. Due to the tireless commitment of its CEO Stephen Mozel James Sanders, Executive Director and chair Stephanie Sanders, Executive Director, Director Roosevelt Sanders, Jr. in conjunction with thousands of community partners, Mozel Sanders Foundation continues to preserve its family legacy and mission to feed those in need. 

For more information, click here.

THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY MOZEL SANDERS.

Students love scholarships and being empowered!

That’s exactly what the Mozel Sanders Foundation is offering to local students wanting to pursue a quality education.

Dusty Simmons, Chief Strategy Officer of Financial Center First Credit Union, joined us Monday on “LIfe.Style.Live! to share what you need to know about this scholarship program and the Mozel Sanders Foundation’s upcoming Thanksgiving Dinner.

The scholarship will be awarded on November 16 at the Credit Union.

For more information about the Financial Center First Credit Union, click here.

For more information about the Mozel Sanders Foundation, click here.

THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY THE FINANCIAL CENTER FIRST CREDIT UNION.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — WISH-TV is partnering with Mozel Sanders to feed Thanksgiving dinner to thousands of families.

President of the organization, Stephanie Sanders, joined Daybreak Thursday to talk about the work they’ve been doing for 51 years.

Every year, the meal changes slightly. This year, the foundation will be serving chicken to families in the Indianapolis area due to supply chain issues.

“It’s the chicken breast…fresh, succulent, and juicy,” Sanders said. “It will be delivery and pickup, we have satellites that will be helping us prepare the food supply…we couldn’t do it without our Hoosiers helping us to do that.”

The foundation hit the million-meal mark this year.

“We’re going to visit her and see how that family is doing, the one that actually got that,” Sanders said.

Anyone can be a part of the work by volunteering. Visit this website to sign up.

If you’re looking to donate, text MOZEL to 317-633-9113. A donation of $20 feeds a family of $4. The foundation is looking to feed 15,000 families this year.

To learn more about the history and mission statement of Mozel Sanders, click here.

Mozell Sanders helps underserved people throughout Indianapolis by feeding the hungry, empowering youth and providing for the community’s welfare.

Stephen Mozel James Sanders, Mozel Sanders Foundation CEO, and Stephanie Sanders, Mozel Sanders Foundation COO, joined us Tuesday on “Life.Style.Live!” to discuss what attendees can expect at their upcoming free Thanksgiving meal giveaways, how you can donate and volunteer, why they’re having chicken instead of turkey this year, their community garden, scholarship and more.

The Mozel Sanders Foundation, Inc. scholarship deadline is Nov. 7.

Text ‘Mozel’ to  317-633-9113 to donate to their cause.

Mozell Sanders Mission:

To provide for the underserved and un-served throughout the Indianapolis area by feeding the hungry, empowering youth and adults, and building a facility that will provide for the community’s welfare.

Organization History:

In 1959, Reverend Dr. Mozel Sanders was appointed Pastor of Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Dr. Sanders diligently worked to serve the needs of his congregation as well as the surrounding community. As a result of his efforts, he received numerous awards and statewide recognition, such as a housing project and a street renamed in his honor. Dr. Sanders probably became best known for his longstanding desire to feed those in need, thus sparking the creation of the annual “Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Day Dinner.” This program established his church as a beacon of light for the urban communities of greater Indianapolis.

After Dr. Mozel Sanders’ passing in 1988, his son, Reverend Roosevelt Sanders, continued his father’s work by answering the call as both Pastor of Mount Vernon and as a servant of the community, which led to the formation of the Mozel Sanders Foundation (MSF). Approximately seven years ago, the Foundation began monthly distributions of approximately 30,000 pounds of groceries, personal hygiene products, and household cleaning supplies to those in need. From its humble beginnings at Mount Vernon, over the past 10 years, the Foundation has grown to include 40 satellite distribution locations consisting of churches, care facilities, and community service centers. To this day, Butler University remains the flagship for food preparation.

Despite our loss in 2010 of another great leader, the late Reverend Roosevelt Sanders, the Foundation has served more than 40,000 hot meals to needy families. Due to the tireless commitment of its CEO Stephen Mozel James Sanders, Executive Director and chair Stephanie Sanders, Executive Director, Director Roosevelt Sanders, Jr. in conjunction with thousands of community partners, Mozel Sanders Foundation continues to preserve its family legacy and mission to feed those in need.

For more information, click here and visit:

Facebook: @mozelsandersfoundation

Twitter: mozelsandersfnd

Instagram: @mozelsandersfnd

Address: 709 N Belmont Ave., Indianapolis IN 46222

Phone number: 317.636.7985

THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY THE MOZEL SANDERS FOUNDATION, INC.

The Mozel Sanders Foundation hit a milestone this year, one that they hope will not be repeated.

The foundation served their 1 millionth meal to the family of Nicole Gonzalez, a mother of eight children.

To learn more about the Gonzalez family click here.

For more information visit, mozelsanders.org.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — WISH-TV once again teamed up with the Mozel Sanders Foundation on Thanksgiving Day to feed people in need. 

This year, the foundation hit a milestone, one that they hope will not be repeated. 

Fifty years ago on Thanksgiving Day, Mozel Sanders saw a need in his neighborhood — neighbors without food — so he started serving his neighbors. On Thursday, the foundation sporting his name served its 1 millionth meal.

Nicole Gonzalez is the mother of eight children. All of them joined her on the front porch of their near-northside duplex to accept the 1 millionth meal.

To say she was thankful would be an understatement. “Well, I teach my kids to be grateful for everything, so they knew when I buy stuff compared to when helped with stuff, I teach them to be grateful for everything as much or as little as people can help with,” Gonzalez said. 

Like many families during the coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 restrictions have placed an extraordinary burden on the family and a strain on its budget. “It is always rough, you know; all the kids, everyone has appointments, school, but, you know, God is always there, so we always get through it.” Gonzalez said. 

The Gonzalez family lives within walking distance of Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, where the meals are prepared. The church’s surrounding neighborhood has struggled with crime and violence.

On a dull, rainy Thanksgiving morning, Gonzalez said she sees the good in her neighbors. “As being a person, like, right here the area I live in isn’t the best, so I see a lot bad things go on compared to different areas, but you guys, the people that contribute to help everybody, actually lets people know that we are all human. It is a big difference compared to watching others that don’t care about each other’s lives,” Gonzalez said. 

On Thursday morning, an army of volunteers gathered at three different kitchens around Indianapolis to prepared the meals. The lion’s share of those meals were prepared, boxed and delivered from the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church kitchen. The governor of Indiana and the mayor of Indianapolis joined the effort for a time on Thursday.   

Close to 10,000 meals were prepared by the army of volunteers. They likely won’t hear or see the appreciation of most of the people receiving the meals.   

Dr. Virginia Caine, whose become well-known as the director of the Marion County Public Health Department during the pandemic, is a longtime Thanksgiving Day volunteer for the meal effort. To her, service to her neighbors and the city is all that matters.  

“We are having the haves and have-nots. That division is getting wider as supposed to closing the gap, we are also seeing an increase in the number of diverse populations that we didn’t see 10 years ago,” Caine said. 

The need in Indianapolis is still great, and the Mozel Sanders Foundation hopes that it takes more than 50 years to feed another million people.