Volunteer Lupita Fuentes and Luz Social Services parent coordinator Marina Pallanes pick up food from the Community Food Bank for the Thanksgiving meal at El Pueblo Neighborhood Center.

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If Lupita Fuentes and other volunteers with Luz Social Services have their way, homeless and hungry people on Tucson's South Side will have at least one reason to give thanks next week — they are talking turkey, with all the trimmings.

Fuentes is one of more than 15 volunteers coordinating the 11th Annual Thanksgiving in the Barrio. At least 1,500 people are expected to attend the feast on Tuesday at El Pueblo Neighborhood Center, 101 W. Irvington Road.

"There are a lot of people who don't have a home or anything to eat. They can be white or Hispanic or black or Chinese and they all say 'thank you' and 'God bless you.' Just to see the looks on their faces, I go to bed that night feeling good," said Fuentes, who has helped with the event for five years.

At this point, Fuentes is hoping not to disappoint those who congregate for the traditional celebration. Turkey and food donations are far below the necessary level. Only 35 of the 100 turkeys needed to feed the crowd have been donated. Luz Social Services Program Coordinator Rafael Vega attributes the lack of donations to the economic slowdown, which he believes has reduced the ability of local businesses to contribute.

"We have been making so many phone calls to businesses and restaurants and we have been turned down so many times," Vega said.

Though donations are down, expected attendance is on the rise. Vega said as many as 2,000 people could show up for dinner.

"There are lots of cutbacks and people losing their jobs and that is affecting so many people," Vega said.

Fuentes said a Thanksgiving meal is something many clients are likely to cut from their budgets if money is tight.

"Christmas is coming and instead of spending $100 for Thanksgiving food for one night, they think, 'I will spend $100 to have food for a week.' That is why it is important for everyone to be welcome at Luz. We won't say no to anyone," she said.

The celebration is also an important opportunity for Luz Social Services — which targets Latino communities on the South Side — to thank residents, according to Vega.

"It is our way of saying thanks to the community for being involved in our programs," he said.

Luz Social Services is on a mission to provide health and human-service opportunities in education and social and personal development while promoting prevention of alcohol and substance abuse, teen pregnancy and other risky behaviors. It also works to mobilize neighborhood coalitions to make improvements and create safer neighborhoods.

Services include a parenting program featuring a 13-session workshop that emphasizes child-parent communication. Graduates can join the Padres program, which fosters community involvement through volunteerism and family participation and provides health education on topics ranging from diabetes and heart disease to breast cancer.

"Everything is free and most of the people there speak Spanish," Fuentes said.

Vega said the ability to bridge the communication gap has enabled Luz, which is supported by various federal, state and local grants, to become a trusted resource for residents of the South Side since 1971.

"Lots of the information that Latino families get is not always true, and they don't know where to turn to or who to trust because of the language barriers or cultural barriers, so it is important for us to reach out to them and let them know they can come and ask questions and they will get the right information," he said.