OUR STORY
It all began as a homemade meal and a belief that we’re all connected.
2006
Seeing the Need
Joe Maddon first became inspired to do something about homelessness while coaching with the Anaheim Angels. During his bike rides to the ballpark, he regularly crossed paths with veterans, families, and folks who had fallen on hard times. He'd stop to hand out supplies, share a few words, and wonder what more he could do. Joe made himself a promise: if he was ever given a platform, he'd use it to help people who needed a little hope and a reminder that they mattered.
That opportunity came in 2006 when Joe became manager of the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays and hosted the first Thanksmas. Drawing on his Italian and Polish roots—and believing that good food brings people together—Joe prepared a homemade meal for neighbors experiencing homelessness. It was never just about the food. It was about bringing people together and reminding everyone that we're all connected—and that everybody deserves a seat at the table. No one is invisible.
Why Two Burnt Feet?
While cooking the very first Thanksmas meal, Joe accidentally dumped a pot of boiling pasta water onto both feet. The burns healed, but the name stuck.
Two Burnt Feet is a reminder that life's little mishaps have a funny way of turning into something meaningful. After all, nobody's perfect—and that's kind of the point. What matters is showing up, sharing some love, and taking care of each other.
2006
The First Thanksmas
The first Thanksmas took place between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but Joe quickly realized that people don't stop needing a little love, a warm meal, and a helping hand when the holidays end. So Thanksmas grew beyond a season and became a year-round effort to show up for neighbors facing hard times.
Over the years, Joe and countless friends and partners have shared thousands of meals and handed out clothing, blankets, shoes, backpacks, and everyday essentials. More importantly, they've shared conversations, smiles, and reminders that nobody should feel invisible.
Nearly two decades later, Thanksmas has touched the lives of an estimated 13,000 people while supporting organizations that provide housing, food, and pathways to a better tomorrow. Through it all, the mission has remained the same: bring people together, spread some love, and remember that we're all connected.
“Homeless people need our help any day of the year, not just on holidays”
- Joe Maddon
TODAY
More Than a Holiday - 20 Years of Thanksmas
Today, Joe partners with nonprofit organizations that provide meals, shelter, and wraparound support, including the Homeless Empowerment Program in Tampa, Care for Friends in Chicago, and the Hazleton Integration Project, the organization he founded in his hometown of Hazleton, Pennsylvania.
At its heart, Thanksmas is about what Joe learned around the family table growing up: food tastes better when it's shared. Inspired by his Italian and Polish roots, Thanksmas brings people together over a simple, home-cooked meal, a few stories, and a whole lot of love. Because respect begins at home, and everybody deserves to be welcomed to the table and treated with dignity.
Pull Up a Chair
Building community through food, friendship and respect.