More than 1000 people share Thanksgiving meal at Rescue Mission

Leah Barrett spent the week volunteering in the kitchen, but she is also actually a resident at the rescue mission. The meals were prepared with 100 turkeys, 300 pounds of mashed potatoes, 60 gallons of gravy, 1,200 dinner rolls, and 225 pumpkin pies. They have taken reservations, but people are also welcome to walk in for the meal.

Starting at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, BARM will offer traditional meals along with live music at its annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet at Richmond Memorial Auditorium.

Lawrence Pillers was among a group of retired National Football League players who volunteered Tuesday at Gateway Rescue Mission.

The church is now in its 40th year of the tradition that served 700 meals last year and has planned for the same this year. The event takes place on Thanksgiving day from 2 – 4 p.m.at the Desert and Patio Courtyard Apartments at 1411 N. Alvernon Way.

So between the mission and the food bank, more than 1,700 low-income and homeless families were given a chance to enjoy Thanksgiving the way it was meant to be enjoyed – with a warm meal and fellowship.

“It just makes me feel good, makes me feel like I’m royalty here you know you get served hot food and they sing for us, it’s just wonderful: once a year I’m looking forward to this”, said Cambron.

“We really try to make it a family atmosphere”, said Jim Haid, executive director at the mission. “They get delivered to individuals who are homebound”.

“It’s meant that there is somebody out there that does love me”, said Strickland.

The Dilworth Neighborhood Grill has been whipping up the Thanksgiving Day breakfast for more than a decade.

Each year, the Gospel Rescue Mission feed more and more people.

Five hours before the doors opened, a handful of people laughed in line, sharing their thanks. With waiters in bowties serving plates to each table, the meal went above and beyond your standard act of charity.

Brothers Kurt and Robert Firestone both live in the Phoenix Rescue Mission and said they were pleased to attend the event for the first time.