Two women create a place everyone can feel at home for the holidays

MINEOLA – Two East Texas women are working to make sure everyone has a meal and a place to be during the holiday season, according to our news partners at KETK. The ladies who make it all happen are co-founders, Wendi Warren and Brandi O’Shea. “If you took Tyler, Longview, Kilgore, Lindale, Mineola and Alba and combine them into one place, that’s how many people are facing food insecurity in East Texas,” Warren said. They said the holiday season is about trying their best to help all the people. To do that, Windy and Brandy put in action an idea they’ve wanted to try for years, a free event where anyone can find food entertainment and community.

“We’ve seen other communities do a similar meal that brings everybody together and we were inspired by that,” O’Shea said.

They work with a group of volunteers who cook all day to serve holiday meals.

“It’s a traditional meal so we’ll have ham, turkey,” O’Shea said. “And then just a variety of sides… All the all the fixings, all the good stuff.”

They also deliver all over East Texas For those who can’t attend in person.

“If you need a meal, we deliver free of charge,” O’Shea said. “So we have a signup sheet online. If you need food delivered, please let us know. We want you to have something that day.”

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Since the beginning, they’ve received support from several businesses and families in the Mineola area.

“Literally took a life of its own and people started coming out of everywhere to help make it what it was and what it is now,” O’Shea said.

These best friends go above and beyond by not only delivering meals but fundraising during each event.

“We donated to several different GoFundMe’s. We started scholarship at school, and we did the same thing,” Warren said. “Like we pick something every time to try to give back. It’s a trickle. It’s so much more than just feeding people now.”

Because their goal is to help people form connections they’re taking a bond they share with each other and creating a place where everyone can feel at home for the holidays.