TRAVERSE CITY -- A Thanksgiving dinner brings out hundreds of people from around northern Michigan. The 20th annual dinner at Trinity Lutheran Church in Traverse City is a way to help those in need, especially on the holiday.
Plus, it comes complete with all of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes...
"Turkey, ham, dressing, coleslaw, pies, the whole menu, everything," says holiday coordinator Sandra Svec.
Svec says the first dinner twenty years ago brought out about 200 people, but over the years that number continues to grow.
"People are coming in that I haven't seen for a long time that have no place to go and no family around and they want to with people instead of being home alone all by themselves," says Svec.
It's volunteers who say it's dinners like these that are crucial, especially during these tough economic times.
"I feel like it could be anyone of us that could be in need at anytime of our lives and today we're helping someone but hopefully someone is going to help us at some point if we need help," says volunteer Meg Cone.
"With the number of people that are losing their jobs and number of people that are permanently homeless, you get just as much out in giving as they get in receiving," says volunteer Steve Cone.
Sandra Svec says the gathering not only provides Thanksgiving dinner but allows community members to spend the holiday with others.
"I wouldn't want to stay home alone on the holiday...I'd want to be with somebody," says Svec.
"To these people we're their family so it's nice to just go around say hello, serve them, help them. They're very appreciative and even though we're away from our biological family, we're all people and we're all together and helping each other out," says Steve Cone.
Organizers say at least 400 people showed up for Thursday's dinner. For those who couldn't make it out this year a number of meals were delivered to people's homes throughout the area.
