GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Guiding Light Ministries held its annual Thanksgiving community dinner in Grand Rapids Sunday.
Organizers say they had a higher turnout than in years past, feeding more than 300 people a traditional turkey dinner with Thanksgiving fixings.
In addition to the free meal, there was live music to get everyone in the holiday spirit.
"We end up having a lot of fun. The music gets everybody happy. We're laughing, we're talking," Guiding Light Development Director Starla McDermott said. "The volunteers enjoy it and they get to interact with the community members, because a lot of them aren't from this neighborhood, they're from church groups and things like that. And we just get to see that we're all people, and it's not those people and us. We're all part of God's family."
Guiding Light says the event was made possible by donors and sponsors who provided the food, and over 100 volunteers who helped dish it out.
There are other free Thanksgiving meals scheduled for this week:
- Wednesday, Nov. 21, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. | Holland Rescue Mission — Hope College DeVos Fieldhouse | Details
- Thursday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.. | Mel Trotter Ministries — DeVos Place Convention Center, Grand Rapids | Details
- Thursday, Nov. 22, noon - 3 p.m. | St. Mary's Catholic Church, Spring Lake | Free feast open to everyone
- Thursday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Broadway Grille, Marshall | Details