Churches, organizations offer free Thanksgiving meals to people in need
Churches, restaurants and service organizations in the suburbs give the lonely, the elderly, the poor, the homeless and those in military service camaraderie and a great meal to be thankful for on our uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving.
In our latest installment of our Caring In Action feature, we meet these gracious community groups and organizations across our coverage area to show them how thankful we truly are.
Cook County
In Palatine, some 34 Great Lakes sailors will find a home away from home Thursday at American Legion Post 690 in Palatine, thanks to the organizing efforts of program chair Cindy Altenbach. “Boot camp is tough,” said Altenbach of the new recruits, who are given only limited access to phones and social media while in basic training. “For many of them, this is their first holiday away from home.” Read the full story.
Lake County
After their Thanksgiving celebrations thinned as relatives died or moved on, Dean and Susan Stewart took a different approach. “We started it with people who didn't have traditional Thanksgiving dinners anymore and it started snowballing,” said Dean Stewart. This Thanksgiving, the couple will host the 8th annual feast at St. Matthew Church, 24500 N. Old McHenry Road, Hawthorn Woods. Dinner is open to all and participation has more than tripled since its inception to about 100 diners. Read the full story.
DuPage County
Hossein Jamali has always liked to help people, to extend a little charity to those in need. It's a lesson he learned from his father, who struggled to make ends meet but still managed to “give a little bit” to those who were facing even greater hardships or challenges. Jamali will follow in those footsteps once again this week, when his Naperville restaurant, Meson Sabika, provides a free sit-down Thanksgiving meal to many in need. Read the full story.
Fox Valley/Tri-Cities
When Lazarus House began serving a free Thanksgiving feast in 1998, the majority of guests were clients, staffers and volunteers. Over the course of 16 years, it's evolved into a community event that serves between 350 and 400 in St. Charles. Read the full story.
To see a list of other groups offering free Thanksgiving meals, click here.