Local organizations treat community to free Thanksgiving meals

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Several organizations across Youngstown treated the community to free Thanksgiving meals on Thursday.

Over at the Rescue Mission of Mahoning Valley, these free meals are an annual tradition. The dinners were served in the organization’s dining hall at the building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The meals included turkey, mashed and sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce and pie.

Both organizers and volunteers say it’s gratifying to be a part of it.

“It feels good. God sent me here. It’s great. It’s fun to say, ‘Here’s your plate, eat,'” said volunteer Maryann Scannell.

“Just to see people come in, have that fellowship with somebody else when they may not have company, you know, or anywhere else to go, it’s a blessing,” said Mike Byers, the Rescue Mission’s food services director.

Organizers expected to serve between 600 and 700 people on Thursday.

Behind Closed Doors Ministries was also getting ready for its community Thanksgiving dinner. Its founders prepped the turkey and were cooking the mashed potatoes Thursday afternoon.

The meal was served at Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s Camp Challenge on Wilkinson Avenue.

Minister Michelle Douglass says this is the first time they’ve hosted a holiday meal.

“My daughter actually a year ago wanted to do something for the community and so we’re doing it today,” she said.

“I just wanted to do something that would help the community take the stress off of parents and, you know, because kids are so young, sometimes they don’t know what’s going on. So it’s just to help the community and just to get a hot meal and be fed,” said Arlessa Douglass with Behind Closed Doors Ministries.

Behind Closed Doors Ministries hopes to make this community Thanksgiving dinner an annual tradition.

Full Spectrum Community Outreach was another organization dishing out free Thanksgiving meals on Thursday. It was the organization’s first Thanksgiving event.

Their goal was to provide a space for people who didn’t have anywhere else to go, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. They aimed to serve about 100 people.

Founder Tim Bortner says they wanted to make the holidays a little easier.

“This time of year is very difficult for our clients. A lot of them don’t have safe spaces, they don’t have supportive family, they don’t have a supportive environment. We’re here for them so that they can come, enjoy, have a safe meal,” Bortner said.

The dinner was sponsored through donations and provided by a local restaurant.