Churches across the country are teaming with volunteers to make sure people in need are able to celebrate Thanksgiving by giving out thousands of turkeys and meals.
In Tampa, Florida, 60 volunteers gathered at Winners’ Worship Center before the sun rose on Saturday morning to prepare to hand out about 2,000 free turkeys and other groceries, FOX13 reported.
“We feel like right now, because of [Hurricanes] Helene and Milton, that the people in our community need the church, and they need organizations, because people are without food, they’re still without a place to stay. Some people are still in a hotel,” said Pastor Brenda Fruster. “So, we’re trying our best to do our part in helping to restore the community.”
A recipient of one of the turkeys, Shakema Jacob, told the outlet that the gift is “a great blessing.”
“It makes a big difference because I was out of power and lost a lot of food. So, it’s helping out a lot,” she added.
In Knoxville, Tennessee, 750 volunteers handed out 1,110 Thanksgiving meal boxes and 250 bags of groceries at Grace Baptist Church, according to WATE.
The holiday boxes contain “everything needed for a homecooked Thanksgiving meal” for a family of five or more, the outlet reported.
At their sixth annual Feeding the 5,000 event, the church also doled out 20 $500 gift vouchers for groceries and gas.
“What’s wonderful is to see so many people in our church, family and in the community come together. Most have never met one another before from the community, but they all kind of become one big, happy family because there’s a lot to be thankful for,” Pastor Bobby Lewis said.
Tracie Jordan, a member of Grace Baptist Church who got there at 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning to get her meal box, expressed her gratitude to the other members of the congregation.
“’I’m just grateful to the folks at Grace Christian to give us the opportunity to come in and grab this because it’s helpful. It’s a help because a lot of people don’t have and not are able to even get over here to get it,” she told the outlet. “So maybe what I get, I can help someone else, you know? It’s just the atmosphere, the friendliness, having god-fearing people around you. That’s what I love.”
In Richmond, Virginia, Trinity Baptist Church gave out more than 140 Thanksgiving meal boxes in their annual drive-thru distribution event on Saturday, WTVR reported.
Rev. Wendy Bullock said that the church’s long-standing Thanksgiving tradition is for everyone.
“This particular ministry has been giving back to the community since 1918,” Bullock said. “We don’t judge. We don’t care what your car looks like, who you are. If you want to come through, we’re willing to give you something because we truly believe we are blessed to be a blessing to others,” she said.
Over on the west coast, a California church is preparing to serve thousands of homeless people, senior citizens, families in need, and those without a family to eat with this Thursday.
Riverside’s Central Community Christian Fellowship is set to host its thirty-seventh annual free Thanksgiving meal drive, which has seen over 4,000 meals get picked up in previous years, according to Patch.
“On-site meal service is also planned at the church, where upwards of 500 people typically gather to enjoy traditional dinners,” the outlet reported.
Down in Lufkin, Texas, Freedom Church just served about 200 people at their annual “Thanksgiving Meal and Coat Drive,” KTRE reported.
“I was just passing by and they was like, ‘You want something to eat?’ And I was like ‘Yes.’ That was a blessing for me,” Myquisha Rhodes said.
In Longview, members of Calvary Baptist Church are planning to make the eight-hour drive to Eagle Pass on Wednesday morning to feed the nearly 600 border patrol agents stationed there per day.
“We’re going to serve them pork chops, potato salad, baked beans and homemade desserts from our church,” Pastor Donnie Barron told KETK.
“They’re just underappreciated, and we just want to show them four meals is not going to change your life, but we just want you to know there’s somebody here that loves you, appreciates what you do and we’re praying for you,” he added.
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