By Loreen Berlin
Stanton Mayor David Shawver said, “The project is getting easier each year but prices of the turkeys are going up every year; this year though, we have the most donors participating that we've ever had before, and this year, we have 125 turkeys to serve for dinner.”
By Loreen Berlin
Stanton Mayor David Shawver said, “The project is getting easier each year but prices of the turkeys are going up every year; this year though, we have the most donors participating that we've ever had before, and this year, we have 125 turkeys to serve for dinner.”
“We work hard every day to support our families and pay our bills, and that's life,” said Harry's Café Owner Andreas Psaras. “But, by doing this, giving this Thanksgiving dinner, to those who need it, fills our hearts and our souls.”
Councilman Al Ethans said the Thanksgiving project is growing by leaps and bounds thanks to Harry's generosity. “It's a pleasure and honor to help people who are in need at this time of year.”
Harry’s Café has once again stepped into high gear preparing to serve its annual free Thanksgiving Dinner to local residents who are looking for friendship and wanting a hot meal on Thanksgiving Day.
Harry’s Café, 8461 Katella Ave. in Stanton (corner of Katella Avenue and Dale Street), has been serving free Thanksgiving Day meals, with all of the trimmings, to its patrons for nearly two decades and will continue the annual tradition again this year from 1 to 5 p.m.
“We want to take the opportunity offered by this holiday season, to extend our gracious thanks to those who have made our progress possible… and to show our appreciation, we invite the needy and lonely and people who have no place to go on Thanksgiving Day, to our annual traditional free turkey dinner,””said the Psaras family.
Harry’s Café Owners Andreas and George Psaras are hosting the event with donations of turkeys and money by managers and assistant managers from the Mobile Home Parks of Magic Lamp.
Also contributing are Nena, Bijan and Ojan Motadi with Golden Touch Auto; Food 4 Less Meat Department Manager Epi Gallegos and Store Manager Dave Slater; George Lazauk with CR & R Recycling; and Brielle Ansdell with Adventure City.
Others contributing include Pick Your Park LKQ Donna McGee; Del Webb with Golden State Water Company; Mayor David Shawver and the Shawver family; Councilman Rigoberto Ramirez; Mayor Pro Tem Al Ethans; Councilwoman Carol Warren; and Harry's Cafe Owner Andreas Psaras and family.
Additional contributors are Rick Muth with Orco Block; Tom Dominguez with the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs; Bob Barry with Care Ambulance; and Larz McAdoo with Jim Barisic Brandywine Homes. The dinners are served by local volunteers and the Psaras Family.
“Invitations were sent out to all residents of Stanton, and fliers were distributed to local charities, churches and service organizations by Stanton Collaborative and the city of Stanton,” Mayor Shawver said.
According to Shawver, when the city formerly gave out turkeys to families in need, they would run out of turkeys, “and someone in need would go without,” Shawver said. “This way, we feed everyone and never run out of food.”
Harry’s Café brothers and Owners Andreas and George Psaras will again personally cook the 126 turkeys this year, which amounts to more than 1 ton of turkey.
Because of the downturn in the economy, the Psarases say they continue to expect a large crowd so they are planning enough turkey for more than 3,000 local residents.
The huge venture does not just happen; it’s coordinated by Shawver, who is also the Stanton Kiwanis Club president and who coordinates the event with a lot of kind-hearted community members and businesses.
Turkeys are being supplied by Stanton ’s local Food 4 Less grocery store located at Beach Boulevard and Katella Avenue. Store Director Dave Slater and Meat Manager Epi Gallegos donated 40 of the 126 turkeys this year, while local businesses and individuals donated money for the rest of the turkey purchases.
“We love being involved with this program,” said Nena Motadi with Golden Touch Auto Center. “We’ll be here next year too.” "
I’m so proud to be a councilwoman for the city of Stanton,” said Councilwoman Carol Warren. “We have become a model city for programs that help rehabilitate the homeless. Our wonderful Stanton businesses such as Harry's Cafe, provides all our local people facing hard times and our homeless a great Thanksgiving dinner for free.”
“As Thanksgiving nears, it's important to thank those in our lives; but let's not forget the giving to everyone around us. With the holidays upon us, let's give a little more and the thanks will follow, said Councilmember Ramirez.
How it all started with the Psaras family: One year, the day before Thanksgiving Day, they told restaurant patrons they would be closed for Thanksgiving, according to Owner Andreas Psaras, and that’s when their patrons told the Psarases they wouldn’t have any place to go to eat dinner nor to have a cup of coffee. So, the Psaras family said they would remain open on Thanksgiving Day.
The Psaras family cooked the turkey at their home and took it to their restaurant and shared Thanksgiving Day with five other families.
“We came to the restaurant and ate dinner with them and now, we start a week before Thanksgiving Day to cook turkeys at all of our other locations, serving at our Katella Avenue location,” Andreas Psaras said. “Serving dinner to the people makes us happy. My friend was going to take us to Hawaii for Thanksgiving one year, but no, this has become our tradition.”
Psaras’ daughter, Angelena, said she was so young when her family started the family tradition, that she can’t remember when they didn’t have the tradition.
“I was so young, that this is automatically what we do for Thanksgiving,” she said. “We bring decorations from home to decorate the restaurant.”
The Psarases are truly an amazing family.
In 1984, Andreas Psaras was 23 years old and single when he decided to make America his home, for a better life.
“I started working in a restaurant when I arrived in America and liked the restaurant business,” Psaras said.
In 1987, he purchased a restaurant with his brother George Psaras and uncle, Gregory Shakolas near the 22 Freeway at Goldenwest and Garden Grove Boulevard, which is still there, called “Harry’s Place.”
In 1991, they started the Harry’s Café on Western Avenue and Orangewood.
“The property was for sale for a good price,” Psaras said.
In 2000, Psaras and his brother purchased the former McDonald’s restaurant at Katella and Dale avenues, making it another “Harry’s Café.”
In February of 2010, the lease on the Orangewood property expired and they weren’t able to negotiate a new lease, so they purchased their newest Harry’s Café location at 12021 Beach Blvd., at Chapman Avenue and Beach Boulevard, which opened in 2010 for business and is located in the Home Depot Plaza.
Angela Psaras also immigrated to America from Greece when she was 21 years old and single, to attend college; she was working at the Spires Restaurant across the street from Harry’s Place, and that’s how Andreas and Angela Psaras chanced to meet – eating at one-another’s restaurants – and later married and are the parents of two children, Angelena and Kyriakos.
“I cooked so well that Angela felt I would cook for her, but it’s turned out that she cooks for me at home, because when I go home after cooking all day long, I’m done’cooking,” Psaras said.
“My husband loves what he does and he’s a very hard worker, working from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the year – 364 days of the year – except for Christmas,” Angela Psaras said.
What started 18 years ago with only two turkeys, has grown to 70 turkeys in 2009, 115 turkeys last year and 126 this year.
The meal includes turkey, mashed and sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce, accompanied with yams, salad, rolls and a drink.
Because the city of Stanton and local businesses combined with the Psaras family, it has made the Thanksgiving Day event even larger.
“We fed nearly 2,000 people in 2009 and planned for 3,000 people last year,” Andreas Psaras said, “and this year remains to be seen with the economy the way it is.”
“The main thing about what we do is the Thanksgiving dinners – we feel good about doing the free dinners – and I want my old customers to know I am here serving them as before, in the newest location on Chapman Avenue,” Psaras said.
