Hundreds enjoy Thanksgiving meals served by Salvation Army in downtown Phoenix

The Salvation Army hosted its annual Thanksgiving Day dinner on Thursday, bringing hundreds of individuals from around the Valley to share coffee, food and conversations in downtown Phoenix.

Jose and his son, who live in Scottsdale, traveled for one hour, taking the bus and then the light rail, to get to the Phoenix Convention Center where the early dinner took place. He said this was his second year in attendance, and he had been looking forward to the hot meal, as well as the other services offered at the event.

“Due to inflation, low income and the poverty level we're currently at, we wanted to take the opportunity to take advantage of the Thanksgiving dinner that's offered by the Salvation Army,” said Jose, who asked to be identified by their first name.

At the reception, which opened its doors after 9 a.m., Valley residents were able to enjoy some coffee, watch a football game that was being screened and share conversations with others while music played in the background. There was also a room for those who wanted to pray and receive counseling, and a kids area where children could color and draw.

Jose said he was excited for the haircuts, for his son to interact with other children in the kids area and for the “great meal.” He said he has been struggling with inflation prices and medical issues, which is why he joined the dinner.

“To be honest, we can’t afford to buy a turkey … we can’t afford to buy all these extra stuff … I can’t even work right now … so that’s the reason why we came,” Jose said.

Janice Jones said she had been laid off recently and didn’t get a chance to purchase a turkey for her and her family, who were at the hospital welcoming a new family member.

“It has been a hard year. Even if you have a job, (prices) are going up so fast,” Jones said.

She had learned about the event on the news and decided to try it out. During the Salvation Army event, she said she had been praying, walking around and talking to people, which left her feeling good.

“It really does make you feel good to see them, they always have that smile … it creates joy to my heart to see that,” Jones said.

While this year Jones wasn’t able to eat Thanksgiving dinner with her family as she usually does, she said she was grateful she still got to eat a meal.

“I really do appreciate that the Salvation Army is doing this for the people that need it. It came in handy for me this year, at least I do get a Thanksgiving dinner. And I'm really thankful for that,” Jones said.

Volunteers make a difference

About 900 volunteers were involved with the organization and execution of the event, according to Maj. Tim Smith, a spokesperson with the Salvation Army.

“We have volunteers who are coming early to help us slice and dice the food and make sure that the preparations have been done as far as the meal is concerned. We have people who are preparing to be the greeter section … all kinds of good things happening,” Smith said.

At the start of the meal service, volunteers walked people to their tables and served them their meals and drinks while a live band played in the background.

This year, about 1,500 meals with turkey, bread, vegetables, stuffing, potatoes and pumpkin or apple pie were prepared for the event. Smith said volunteer drivers were delivering 3,000 additional meals to those who weren't able to attend, and other Salvation Army locations across the Valley were also serving dinner.

Stephanie Visconti was one of the volunteers greeting people with smiles and handing out coffee.

Her father used to volunteer at the Thanksgiving dinner each year, and when he passed she decided to keep the tradition going for him.

“It's just amazing to see the community come together to feed people in need on a day that we're thankful for what we have. It's just good spirits, a day to give back,” Visconti said.

Visconti said she also enjoyed talking to other people and felt fulfilled by being able to help out.

“Sometimes you're the only person they'll talk to today. So it’s nice to give them that interaction,” Visconti said.

Smith said with the event they want people to feel welcomed at Thanksgiving and to help those who are having a rough time.

“We want people to feel like they are our guests, that they're not just coming in to get a dinner and then off they go. We want them to feel comfortable staying around for a little while enjoying the activities that are here for them so that they can really feel like they're valued … and that they know that the Phoenix community cares about them,” Smith said.

As people started walking out after finishing their meals, many approached volunteers and said, “God bless you” and “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“We're blessed to be able to participate and utilize the services … so we're grateful and humbled that there's a place that we can come to feed our tummies,” Jose said.

The Salvation Army will be hosting another dinner on Christmas Day, and those interested in volunteering can learn more at https://www.salvationarmyphoenix.org/.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Salvation Army serves hundreds of Thanksgiving meals in Phoenix