Food for Homeless Spoils in an Unplugged Freezer

Workers at a nonprofit social service agency in Gardena got a nasty surprise Monday morning when they discovered that food they had prepared to distribute to the homeless this Thanksgiving week had spoiled when a freezer was left unplugged.

Rachel Shapiro, a social worker at the organization Crossroads, which runs programs for the mentally ill, said she came in Monday morning to find six turkeys, four vats of stuffing and gallons of gravy spoiled. The freezer in which the food was stored apparently was inadvertently unplugged over the weekend, she said.

The dinners were to be distributed to the homeless at various parks Monday and today. In place of turkey today, ham and cheese sandwiches will be served.

But there is some good news: A private donor has replaced the spoiled food and the center plans to go ahead with plans to provide 30 people with more traditional offerings on Wednesday.