Chicago's Salvation Army Freedom Center serves Thanksgiving meals to thousands
CHICAGO (CBS) -- On this Thanksgiving Day, the Salvation Army continued its long tradition of feeding families in the Humboldt Park neighborhood—hosting thousands with meals made from scratch.
The aroma of turkey emanated pleasantly from the Salvation Army Freedom Center, at 825 N. Christiana Ave., on Thursday. Also emanating from the facility was an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
"The food is very delicious," said Felita Vaughn of the Uptown neighborhood. "I'm really glad that we came."
Vaughn and her grandson were among the many who took advantage of the tasty Thanksgiving meals being served at the center. The meals were served as part of a longstanding tradition where the Salvation Army opens its doors to the community—and everyone, regardless of their situation, gets a seat at the table for some classic home cooking.
"Your traditional Thanksgiving meal—cranberry sauce, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, all those things—and pumpkin pie," said Salvation Army Corps Officer Nikki Hughes.
If the pie isn't enough to reel people in, there are also smiles from volunteers like Chris Cichelli.
"There's a lot to be grateful, man," Cichelli said. "You know, even when I don't have the energy for it, I just want to help out."
Some of these volunteers have chipped in for decades. And as the echoes of chatter in the center's gymnasium proved, it was not only meals that were getting served.
"You can come here and chat with someone across the table that you may not know," Hughes said. "You need people, and people need each other."
While the Salvation Army serves the community all year round, it is on Thanksgiving Day when the organization makes its biggest impact—where 4,000 meals at the West Side facility alone get served.
"I think the need has gone high," said Salvation Army Capt. Elis Pomales. "People are running out of resources to quick. and they can't make ends meet.:
And while Vaughn was able to satisfy her appetite, the most valuable thing with which she left was a sense of paying it forward.
"My grandson, he now wants to volunteer," she said. "He is seeing other people volunteer, and now he wants to do it."
<h2>Other churches, organizations step up for community on Thanksgiving</h2>
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition also hosted a Thanksgiving meal at its headquarters Thursday for families in need.
This year, Rainbow PUSH said it served up more than 250 meals at its headquarters at 930 E. 50th St. in the Kenwood neighborhood—as part of its mission uplift the most vulnerable members of the community.
"Thanksgiving is a time for sharing blessings and strengthening our community bonds. Every meal served is a reminder that we stand in solidarity with those who need it most," the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. was quoted in a news release.
The organization is specifically looking to help out veterans this holiday season.
Meanwhile, volunteers from Quinn Chapel AME Church—Chicago's oldest Black church—started bright and early this Thanksgiving Day for a service project.
The church, at 2401 S. Wabash Ave. wanted to make sure seniors and others in need were fed and loved for the holiday. They teamed up with Chicago's Panhellenic Council and other civic organizations to pack home-cooked meals.
In all, the church planned to deliver about 1,500 meals to senior homes around the Chicago area.
