Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster donates Thanksgiving meals to seniors

Pittsburgh Steelers huge receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster fondly remembers Thanksgiving dinners rising up.

“The older individuals would all the time be served first,” stated Smith-Schuster on Tuesday.

He’s making the positive the seniors are taken care of this 12 months, particularly when they may not have the ability to have a conventional Thanksgiving dinner and aren’t in a position to be with family members.

By means of his JuJu Foundation he’s teaming with Dive Bar & Grille, which has a number of Western Pennsylvania places, ACORx Pharmacy, and Ten Four Social, a Pittsburgh-based social media advertising and marketing company, to offer 350 residence cooked Thanksgiving meals to the aged. He desires to assist people who find themselves unable to attend their household gatherings amid the covid-19 pandemic.

“I like the aged, and I wish to give again,” he stated. “I would like them to have Thanksgiving. I’m grateful to them and the town of Pittsburgh as a result of they’ve all the time have my again. This metropolis offers me love.”

Smith-Schuster stated he can’t be there to ship the meals as a result of the Steelers host rival Baltimore Ravens at 8:20 p.m. at Heinz Discipline on ABC. However he made positive seniors might be served.

“Thanksgiving has all the time meant household on the desk for me,” stated Smith-Schuster, who stated he was seated on the child’s desk even when he was in highschool. “It’s about sitting down and speaking in regards to the reminiscences of the previous and the longer term.”

He recalled breaking the wishbone together with his sister. Whoever gained bought to decide on which piece of turkey they needed first. Traditions are what Thanksgiving is all about, Smith-Schuster stated.

Even when the traditions would possibly look totally different, there can nonetheless be a very good meal, particularly for seniors, stated Shawn Nairn, proprietor of ACORx Pharmacy based mostly in Carnegie. His firm will ship the meals.

He stated they chose recipients based mostly on the neediest inhabitants, from seniors who might be residence alone to {couples} who won’t be going to relations’ homes this 12 months and people who bodily can’t depart their properties.

A few of the areas are South Facet, Homewood, Garfield and Oakland.

“We ship to those individuals day-after-day, so we all know them and so they know our drivers,” Nairn stated. “We’re comfortable to do it.”

Thanks a lot to everybody for the birthday needs right now, actually means rather a lot to get a lot love from the entire followers and Steelers Nation annually. First time in 6 years that I’ve performed on my birthday! I hope we are able to make it a particular one, #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/cNR7XEABzV

— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) November 22, 2020

Smith-Schuster, who was restricted in follow Tuesday with a toe harm, stated his favourite a part of the Thanksgiving meal is dessert — peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. The person meals gained’t have that dessert however could have a bit of pumpkin pie, together with turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, combined greens, salad and a roll ready by Dive Bar. Co-owner Clint Kuskie stated Ten 4 Social reached out to him about 10 days in the past.

He didn’t wish to commit till he requested his workers.

“I didn’t wish to make individuals work on Thanksgiving, however as quickly as I despatched out the e-mail I bought so many constructive responses,” stated Kuskie, who plans to roast turkey breasts.

Every meal might be packed so it may be reheated. He stated he and his crew will do some prep work on Wednesday and end all the pieces Thursday morning.

Supply is anticipated between 11 a.m. and midday Thursday.

“We are going to do that as contactless as attainable,” Kuskie stated. “We’re serving the aged and retaining them security is our utmost concern. We’re comfortable to have the ability to do one thing like this.”

A complement to this 12 months’s meal is hopefully a Steelers victory – for an 11-0 document.

“That will be an ideal finish to the proper Thanksgiving meal,” he stated. “Cherish your moments this Thanksgiving even in the event you can’t be collectively like you’re used to. Embrace life and reside life to the fullest and know that everybody round you loves you even when it’s from far-off this 12 months.”

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Assessment workers author. You may contact JoAnne at 724-853-5062, jharrop@triblive.com or through Twitter .