Chicago food bank gets hand from Barack Obama with Thanksgiving prep

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Former President Barack Obama popped in to visit volunteers at a Chicago food bank on Tuesday, helping out as the charity prepares to feed people in need on Thanksgiving.

In a video posted Tuesday, Obama strode into the facility, prompting some exclamations from surprised volunteers who were huddled together around a long table of potatoes. The former president, clad in purple latex gloves and White Sox cap, dove in and began to help sort the tubers.

"Thanks to the Chicago @FoodDepository team for all you do and to the volunteers who are doing great work and let me crash today," Obama said in a tweet Tuesday night. "Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!"

Thanks to the Chicago @FoodDepository team for all you do and to the volunteers who are doing great work and let me crash today. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! https://t.co/r4QeBeCoT1 — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 21, 2018

And the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which says it distributes 159,000 meals a day, thanked the ex-president and his foundation in a tweet "for joining our volunteers today."

"We believe no one should go hungry, especially this time of year, and that’s why we’re working to address the root causes of hunger in Chicago and Cook County," the food bank said.

Obama and his family helped serve meals on the day before Thanksgiving at food banks in the Washington, D.C., area several years while he was in office.

In 2015, the Obamas helped feed military veterans at Friendship Place; in 2014, they were at Bread for the City; in 2011, they went to the Capital Area Food Bank; in 2009 and 2010, they chipped in at Martha's Table.

Thank you to ⁦@BarackObama⁩ and ⁦@ObamaFoundation⁩ for joining our volunteers today at the Food Depository. We believe no one should go hungry, especially this time of year, and that’s why we’re working to address the root causes of hunger in Chicago and Cook County. pic.twitter.com/d6YfBjvJl2 — Chicago’s Food Bank (@FoodDepository) November 20, 2018

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