THUNDER BAY – The Salvation Army is throwing open the doors of its Cumberland Street facility on Sunday to feed anyone who wants a hearty meal a full-course Thanksgiving Dinner.
With the assistance of volunteers from Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, it’s a chance for anyone who might be hungry or lonely over the holiday weekend to enjoy a filling meal and some camaraderie as well.
It’s a great way to give back to the community, said Salvation Army spokeswoman Anne Antenucci on Friday, as firefighters peeled boxes of potatoes behind her in preparation for the cooking to begin.
“Thanksgiving is all about the community. It’s all about coming together to give thanks. So some people, whether they’re street involved and don’t actually have the place to go or the money to have (a dinner), or whether you’re just lonely because you’re on your own and you want to be part of our community, or you just don’t have the time to make Thanksgiving dinner, you’re welcome at our dinner,” Antenucci said.
The doors open to everyone at noon.
“We don’t ask any questions, we simply open our doors at noon,” Antenucci said, adding homelessness is on the rise in the city and 300 or more people are expected to take part in the meal.
“This is an opportunity for people who are in that situation to kind of forget about it for a couple of hours, come in. It’s going to be nice and warm in here. We’re going to have great smells of turkey and stuffing and dessert and stuff like that.”
Thunder Bay Professional Firefighter Association spokesman Kevin Anderson said his union membership is only too glad to help out, as they’ve done for more than three decades at Thanksgiving.
“We’re on the front line as first responders, so we see the need in our community first-hand. So when we have the opportunity to give back, we jump on it,” Anderson said.
