With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to give back and help ensure everyone has a joyful and festive holiday.
Here are some ways in and around South Bend for community members to get involved or receive help this Thanksgiving.
Free meals and events
For neighbors in need, there are ample opportunities to receive free Thanksgiving meals, both leading up to the holiday and on Thanksgiving Day.
Downtown Soup Kitchen Thanksgiving dinner
The Downtown Soup Kitchen at First Northwest United Methodist Church, 333 N. Main St. in South Bend, will serve Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The meal will be served in the church’s social hall.
Guests will enjoy turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans with bacon, corn, sweet potato casserole, desserts and drinks. Carry-outs will be available at 1 p.m., after all guests have been served.
Hope Ministries Thanksgiving dinner
Hope Ministries, 432 S. Lafayette Blvd. in South Bend, will serve a free Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, Nov. 27. The meal for nonresidents will be served from 12:15 to 1 p.m. and is open to St. Joseph County residents. The regular dinner meal will follow from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m.; community members are welcome to arrive at 6:30 p.m. to wait in the warm waiting area.
The charity also offers a delivery option for those unable to attend in person. Community members can sign up for a delivered meal by calling 574-235-4150 or emailing info@hopesb.org before noon Nov. 26. When reaching out, they will need to provide their name, address, phone number and number of meals needed; one meal is available per person.
Meals will be delivered between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, so community members must be home during that window.
Broadway Christian Parish Thanksgiving breakfast
Broadway Christian Parish, 1412 Carroll St. in South Bend, will serve a free Thanksgiving breakfast from 8-10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Brethren Blessings Food Pantry Ministry
First Brethren Church, 4909 S. Ironwood Drive in South Bend, gives away boxes of food on the first and third Fridays of the month from 10 a.m. to noon. The drive-up food pantry is a year-round ministry, but there is an opportunity for families to receive food on the Friday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 21.
Community members may receive a box of food once a month and can call 574-291-4909 for more information.
New Carlisle Community Food Pantry turkey giveaways
The New Carlisle Community Food Pantry, 300 E. Compton St. in New Carlisle, will give away turkey dinner packages on Nov. 14 and 21 for families to cook and enjoy at home. For those who would prefer, the food pantry also has an alternate meat option with about two pounds of ground venison and a package of chicken instead of turkey.
Community members may only come one of the two weeks, and only one turkey per family/address. If the food pantry runs out of turkeys, families will be given the alternate meat package.
“Turkeys on the Table Challenge”
The Food Bank of Northern Indiana is distributing free frozen turkeys to households in need at multiple sites across six counties in the coming weeks. They are provided thanks to WNDU-TV’s “Turkeys on the Table Challenge,” running through Nov. 25.
The turkeys will be given out via drive-through at locations around Elkhart, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Kosciusko, Starke and Marshall counties. Families may receive one turkey per household, while supplies last.
A full list of distribution locations is available on the food bank’s website.
The Salvation Army of Elkhart and Faith Mission of Michiana Thanksgiving dinner
The Salvation Army of Elkhart, 801 Benham Ave. in Elkhart, and Faith Mission of Michiana, 300 N. Main St. in Elkhart, are hosting a free Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The same meal will be served at both locations.
Volunteering and donating opportunities
Area charities and organizations have several ways for community members to get involved this Thanksgiving, giving of their time or money to help those in need.
Email South Bend Tribune staff reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Looking for ways to give or receive help this Thanksgiving? Here are some ideas.
Reporting by Rayleigh Deaton, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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