TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — With a goal in mind of helping the community, Catholic Charities served a traditional Thanksgiving dinner Tuesday at the Fishes and Loaves soup kitchen.
“We know for some of our guests who came in today, this may be their only opportunity to receive this kind of meal, and it really kind of brings a lot of people together,” Catholic Charities agency director John Etling said.
Every guest and volunteer was required to wear a face mask. To create more social distancing, guests signed up for 30-minute time slots and were able to eat at their specific time to prevent crowding.
“We think that if you can help one person, you can change the world and we want to change the world as many times today as we can, and if it’s through the effort of providing a meal then that’s what it is,” Etling said.
Naomi Smith, the kitchen supervisor for Fishes & Loaves soup kitchen, said the event would not take place without the help of volunteers.
“If it wasn’t for our volunteers, it would be so difficult for us to do what we do. We have a few young ladies right now that are volunteering with us almost every day of the week,” Smith said.
Dinner guests were also given a to-go meal to leave with as well. The charity plans to spread more holiday cheer next month with their Christmas dinner.