HELENA – Dozens of people left First Presbyterian Church in Helena with a full stomach on Thursday, after the church’s annual free community Thanksgiving lunch.
Almost 20 volunteers coordinated the full Thanksgiving meal, which was open to anyone who wanted to come.
Volunteer and organizer Rose Leavitt said the lunch began six years ago with about 10 or 15 people. It’s now grown even bigger. Last year, 100 people attended.
She said the lunch is an extension of the church’s mission to serve others.
“It’s just a blessing to be able to feed people, who would go to a restaurant, or don’t have other places to be,” said Leavitt.
Before lunch was served, Leavitt encouraged people to eat as much as they wanted. There were also to-go cartons available in case someone wanted leftovers or had a friend or family member who couldn’t make it.
Butch Plowman is a member of the church and led people in prayer before lunch was served.
“Christ gave and gave, and that’s he calls us to do,” he said. “To be generous, to be caring and giving.”
“According to the Korean tradition, having a meal together is very important, sharing food with each other, especially family members,” said Okkee Kim, the pastor at the Community Church of the Nazarene in Basin.
