LITTLE ROCK — While area families gather around the dinner table to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast, many will be lining up at homeless shelters and churches to celebrate the holiday.
Despite low donations throughout the year, many local organizations are seeing an increase in donations for their Thanksgiving meals.
The Salvation Army, at 1111 W. Markham St. in Little Rock, will have 20 turkeys and 20 hams ready and waiting at its annual Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
Spokesman Kathy Barbeire said most donations for the dinners are through food agencies instead of private donations, which helps keep the event going.
“Where our funding shortfalls really hurt us is our social services department ... and the food pantry,” Barbeire said. “But, as far as doing our community meal, we are going to do that.”
Several food agencies have donated to the dinner,the most prominent being Potluck Food Rescue for Arkansas in Little Rock, which donated the turkeys.
Barbeire said last year the shelter served 200 to 300 people. She said its Jacksonville chapter at 209 S. Oak St. will for the first time provide a Thanksgiving meal from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in conjunction with the nonprofit organization The Impact Zone.
The Bethlehem House at 930 Faulkner St. in Conway, in conjunction with Trinity Worship Center & Church, will provide dinner starting at noon Thursday, case manager Debbie Crosby said.
Crosby said the charity had its “highs and lows” throughout the year, but donations have been coming in.
“They’ve picked up recently. We’re receiving donations from the school’s Step Up to the Plate food drive, from local churches and individuals,” Crosby said. “Anytime we ask for help, the community is willing to help and get to us quickly.”
Pulaski Heights Baptist Church at 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. in Little Rock will hold its annual Thanksgiving dinner at noon Thursday for its faculty, staff and patients at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, as well as the community, Associate Pastor Carolyn Staley said.
Staley said the church buys the turkey and dressing through money set aside or with donations, and church members bring side dishes. Staley said last year, the dinner drew 70 people.
The Christian Mission Church, at 1423 Moss St. in North Little Rock, will put on its 11th annual Thanksgiving dinner for the public from noon to 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The church also operates a daily soup kitchen, and Linda Ray, soup kitchen administrator, said it always has a good response with donations from the public and area churches.
“The Lord always provides somebody to help out, so I can’t say there’s any more or any less [donations],” Ray said.
Some local organizations put together Thanksgiving dinners by relying less on outside donations.
Part of the festivities for the sixth annual University District Thanksgiving Festival today and Thursday at Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, at 6420 Colonel Glenn Road, Suite 1 in Little Rock, will include a Thanksgiving dinner Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Chairman Andy Halfhill said about 600 people attended the dinner last year. The dinner does not rely heavily on outside contributions, as members provide the food each year and a donation is given by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he said.
The Say’s Stop the Violence organization, along with the North Point Dixie Church of Christ, will host four Thanksgiving dinners, one at the church at 916 H St., Dixie Addition, in North Little Rock, and at the three North Little Rock Housing Authority complexes - Willow Street, Bowker House and Campus Towers. The dinners will be today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Say’s Stop the Violence was founded by Robert “Say” McIntosh about 42 years ago. His wife, Derotha McIntosh, said she and her husband, along with North Point minister Ernest Franklin, aim to help families that have been victimized by homicide.
Say McIntosh said they are expecting a couple of hundred people and will be providing 24 turkeys.
The Little Rock Compassion Center at 3618 W. Roosevelt Road will provide a Thanksgiving meal to the public at noon and another at 5 p.m. Thursday. The Rev. William Holloway, director, said the center - open every day of the year - served about 163,000 meals last year to the homeless, and Thanksgiving is particularly busy, as many places shut down for the holiday.
Last year, the center served800 people for Thanksgiving. This year, the center will be serving about 40 turkeys.
Holloway said Monday that the center has collected $3,000 for the dinner but could use another $2,000 to avoid cutting into its operational budget.
“The more food we have to buy the less we can do for people,” Holloway said.
The Watershed Human and Community Development Agency Inc. will be serving Thanksgiving dinner at 3701 Springer Blvd. and at Moody Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church at 5630 Mabelvale Pike in Little Rock from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, said the Rev. Hezekiah Stewart Jr., executive director.
Stewart described the agency as a “social hospital” that aids people in need of employment, or utility and housing assistance, as well as disaster relief and day-care services.
The agency has had a Thanksgiving dinner for about 30 years and, he said, said donations have been down compared with past years.
“We’re grateful for what we have now, but I know the economy has had a significant impact on donations,” Stewart said. “Christmas is right on us again, and we hope things will be better for Christmas.”
Stewart said Monday that the organization had about 100 turkeys so far, but he’d like to have about 500 available for the 8,000 meals the organization plans to serve.
Stewart said it is important for people to be generous throughout the year, but especially around the holidays.
“On Thanksgiving Day, everybody deserves to have a well-cooked meal. A lot of turkeys die so people can have that,” Stewart said. “So far, the people of Arkansas have never failed us. The love of God is still flowing.”
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 11/24/2010