Neighbors came together over a hot Thanksgiving meal at the Cristo Rey Community Center in Lansing, where the annual community dinner filled the room with food, conversation and connection.
- Cristo Rey Community Center served over 400 Thanksgiving meals to neighbors
- More than 50 volunteers helped make the community dinner possible
- The community meal has been taking place for more than 30 years
WATCH: Cristo Rey Center serves over 400 meals at Thanksgiving dinner
"It gives us somewhere to go. It gives us somewhere to belong," Michelle DeRoover said.
DeRoover and her mom, Dawn Tyler, came to the community meal for the first time this year.
Tyler tells me she's also working with her church to support a local family experiencing homelessness.
"It was a big event to be able to put out a meal this big for a big family for me. I brought my family and the family of five that we're helping out down here for a free Thanksgiving Day dinner," Tyler said.
They weren't alone. The room stayed busy all afternoon. I spoke with Yvonne Sampson, who's the chief operating officer for Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton & Clinton Counties. She tells me they served more than 400 meals between dine-in and delivery options.
"When you come to an event like this and realize how many people actually are food challenged and are just struggling to get by day-to-day, it really does bring awareness to the need in our community," Sampson said.
More than 50 volunteers helped make the meal possible, many returning year after year.
"One woman has volunteered on Thanksgiving, either here or at other places, for over 30 years. So she has made this her own Thanksgiving tradition, and I think it's one that we could all learn from," Sampson said.
A packed dining room, and a reminder of the gratitude so many neighbors carry with them this holiday.
"Life, family, and the privilege of being able to help those that are less fortunate than us," Tyler said when asked what she's thankful for this year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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