ST PAUL, Minn. — Volunteers and staff members at nonprofit organizations across Minnesota spent Wednesday evening preparing thousands of Thanksgiving meals to be served for free the following day.
For some, volunteering on the night before Thanksgiving has become a family tradition. Annika Duryea has brought her family and friends to volunteer at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities for four years.
"I'm Annika's mom—proud, happy mom," Kris Duryea said. "Annika got us into this gig and we come every year when she says, 'I need help.'"
Their time spent preparing meals and helping out in the shelter's kitchen is a reminder, they said, of what Thanksgiving is truly about.
"Taking a look at what I have, at least as a person, like material things or opportunities, things I'm doing and being grateful for it," Annika added. "Just realizing not everyone is so lucky."
The mother and daughter are two of the many volunteers making a Thanksgiving meal possible for people in need this holiday.
Staff members and volunteers at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities are expecting to serve 300 to 400 people between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the men's campus in St. Paul. The meals are free and anyone is welcome, according to the organization's community relations director Sarah Peterka.
"We like to say hope begins with a meal," Peterka said. "So serving our three hot meals a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year is one of our main missions beyond providing safe and warm housing for those in need right now."
Roughly 800 meals will be served at the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center shelter on Thursday. The event is not open to all members of the public, but the organization hosted various free meals to all members of the community on several days throughout the week. Thanksgiving Day meals are provided by Blue Door Pub.
"We're trying to create something special for the clients, as special as we can," said the Harbor Light Center operations director Damien Poling. He said he's thankful for the volunteers and staff who make it all possible.