Thanksgiving Meals With Strangers - ABC5 News Des Moines, IA

Thanksgiving Meals With Strangers

by Phil Prazan

pprazan@myabc5.com

@PhilPrazan

Thanksgiving is not just a holiday for being thankful. For some, it's for giving back.

For the over 200 volunteers at Hope Ministries, that means giving out free Thanksgiving meals.

The private non-profit gives out three meals every day but Thanksgiving has some of the largest crowds and some of the largest numbers of volunteers.

People of all types came to get to know one another.

Some looking for help, some just looking to spend time with friendly strangers.

David Burrier from Hope Ministries says today they're expecting to give out over three thousand meals.
 
"Giving them a good meal but also looking them in the eye and saying there's still hope, you're not a throw away, you're not beyond repair.  God loves you, forgives you and has a plan for your life.  We can feed their tummy, we can feed their soul and they walk away and they look back and they go wow, that felt good," says Burrier.
 

Hope Ministries welcomes people of all types every day and are always looking for help. Their next giant meal day is Christmas.