Texans across the state are adjusting Thanksgiving plans to stay safe, have fun

This Thanksgiving, the words "pass me the screen" could be uttered as many times as requests for more turkey and stuffing.

Experts have predicted fewer people will be traveling to see loved ones amid another surge of COVID-19.

Using video conferencing apps such as Zoom and FaceTime, and changing Thanksgiving traditions to incorporate drive-thru meals, Texans are finding ways to connect with each other when getting physically close could make them sick. or worse.

A very virtual Thanksgiving

In West Texas, Alexana Carter and her husband, Andrew Sherley, of San Angelo typically travel to Dallas to celebrate the holidays with family, but this Thanksgiving will be different.

Two weeks ago, Alexana said she and her husband decided to stay in town amid a surge of COVID-19 across the state.

"We’re an immunocompromised household," Alexana said. "There’s a lot of educators in our family, so we’re doing a virtual Thanksgiving with our families and some friends who don’t have people to celebrate with."

As both Carter and Sherley sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey and mashed potatoes at home, Andrew will see his eight family members in Dallas using the video conferencing app Zoom. Alexana will get to smile and laugh with the four other members of her family who also live in Dallas via Microsoft Teams. 

A family friend isolated in Indiana has also been invited to join the meal, which Alexana said she's looking forward to preparing. The serving sizes will be smaller she said, and she can prepare recipes with no worry this year about other people's dietary restrictions or preferences.

"It was important for us to change our normal Thanksgiving plans in hopes of everyone in the family being well when it’s safe to gather again," Alexana said. "My husband and one of our nephews are immunocompromised, so our priority is always to keep them safe."

More: COVID-19 means Thanksgiving alone for many Americans

Drive-thru turkey feasts

In South Texas, organizers of several annual events meant to unite the community with free giveaways and feasts decided to get creative rather than stop tradition. Their idea?

Drive-thrus. 

Pre-pandemic lines of people anxious to get their free turkey during attorney Thomas J. Henry's annual giveaway event were typical. But this year Henry's law firm switched to a drive-thru only event for all of the distribution sites in Alice, Robstown, Freer and San Diego along the Gulf Coast.

Organizers said it was a way to serve the community while also ensuring the safety of staff and event participants.

On Thursday that's also the strategy for the 77th annual Joe Salem Thanksgiving Dinner in Corpus Christi. The free feast draws hundreds from across the region who in past years sit side by side to enjoy turkey legs, pie and all the fixings.

Volunteer cooks still kept the "traditional turkey leg feast"  — about 500 plates were made — but it evolved into a "Drive Up Distribution" this year.

Guests were asked to wear masks and remain in their vehicles so volunteers can load their vehicles with meals.

And while other charity events were canceled or postponed until 2021, such as the Vishal Bhagat Memorial Golf Tournament in Corpus Christi, organizers still found ways to give back this holiday season. The foundation announced it would give away 500 Thanksgiving Day meals at a pick-up location in Corpus Christi.

In Abilene, military veterans will receive Thanksgiving dinners that officials will distribute in drive-thru fashion at the parking lot of the downtown Abilene Convention Center.

"We are proud to be serving the community of Taylor County during these unprecedented times," said Bryan Massey, director of Taylor County’s Veteran Service Office.

Volunteers will hand out prepackaged meals, which include turkey and roast beef dinners. Unlike in years past, the sit-down meals will be given on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, to give people a chance to organize and prepare the meal themselves.

“We have had several calls asking if we will be delivering meals this year. The answer is, 'No, we will not.' The reason for that is to help limit the spread of COVID-19," Massey said.

Last week, food baskets from Hardin-Simmons University's School of Physical Therapy were delivered to Ortiz Elementary School in Abilene. Included was a voucher for a turkey and other ingredients for a holiday meal. 

The baskets were delivered before students went home for the weeklong Thanksgiving holiday break.

The Salvation Army in El Paso is taking a similar route with its highly anticipated and widely attended Thanksgiving Day meal. The organization is offering a drive-thru lunch from Thursday to ensure social distancing.

Enjoy a Thanksgiving parade ...from home

The good news is Green Bay Packers star Aaron Jones and his twin brother, Alvin, will be the grand marshals of El Paso’s annual Sun Bowl Parade on Thanksgiving.

The bad news is parade goers can’t physically attend.

Oscar Leeser’s Hyundai of El Paso Sun Bowl Parade has drawn as many 250,000 spectators in years past, but with COVID-19 cases and deaths surging, the entire parade will be virtual in 2020. The parade will be broadcast Thanksgiving Day and include marching bands, floats and other acts such as mariachis.

“I consider the Sun Bowl parade an iconic El Paso event,” Leeser, who is also running for mayor, said in a news release. “I remember it as a kid and always loved it. This year, with COVID-19 most parades across the country have been canceled. I’m making sure the Sun Bowl Parade tradition continues by sponsoring the first virtual parade, so our kids and families will get to enjoy it in safety ... it’s worth every penny.”

The parade will be viewable after Thanksgiving at sunbowl.org.

In addition to the Jones brothers, another famous El Paso native found a way to give back to the community during the pandemic.

R&B star Khalid gave Thanksgiving meal boxes to El Pasoans through his Great Khalid Foundation the week before Thanksgiving. Recipients had to tape vouchers to their windshields and keep their windows up during the drive-thru giveaway. Volunteers placed meal boxes in car trunks to keep the giveaway contact free.

Other groups, including Healing Place Church and Abundant Living Faith Center offered turkey giveaways the weekend before Thanksgiving.

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Nursing center asks residents and staff to avoid gatherings

Nursing homes and retirement centers across the state are treading a difficult tightrope this Thanksgiving: ensuring seniors can connect with loved ones while protecting them from a potentially deadly virus.

Buckner Retirement Services, which has campuses in Austin, Beaumont, Dallas, Houston, Longview and San Angelo, have asked residents and staff to avoid off-campus gatherings entirely.

"We understand the heartbreaking reality of this request, and it isn't one we're making lightly," said Buckner Marketing Director Kaley Lockaby in a video posted to YouTube. "Team members are also being encouraged to make the same sacrifices this year and our communities will conduct daily rapid testing of all associates the week after Thanksgiving and Christmas."

Lockaby said in-person gatherings posed the largest threat to the health and safety of residents due to the potential exposure to COVID-19 and the rising spike of cases in Texas — not to mention the flu. She said while residents were free to come and go from the community as they pleased, it was a risk to the community as a whole.

Lockaby requested those who left their independent living facilities to attend a holiday gathering to isolate themselves for 14 days upon their return. Those who left overnight would be required to isolate for two weeks before they could return to the community.

"We understand the emotional strain this may put on residents and family members. While our goal remains to keep residents safe, we also want to ensure that every resident has time with family during the holidays," Lockaby said.

Officials at Buckner said while on-campus residents will be treated to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, its staff were in the process of developing creative way to connect residents and family safely, which included writing letters each day for the 12 Days of Christmas, scheduling FaceTime or zoom calls, or sending video messages to family members.

Lockaby noted physically avoiding groups of people, especially loved ones, during the holidays was challenging, but worthwhile if it could limit the spread of the virus.

"Our hope is that by making these hard choices, we can safely navigate this difficult season with as few positive cases as possible," Lockaby said.

Staffers from the Abilene Reporter-News, Corpus Christi Caller-Times and El Paso Times contributed to this report.