SPOKANE, Wash. — It can be a lot of pressure to buy the things that make a Thanksgiving dinner.
So, around our community, people are hoping to alleviate some of the pressure by footing the bill on Thanksgiving dinners for those in need.
"We got to put faith into action," Fresh Soul Owner Michael Brown said. "And when you put faith into action, that's helping somebody less fortunate than you."
Brown is planning to provide meals to the first 100 customers Thanksgiving Day.
"We wanted to give them what we specialize in," Brown said. "Ribs, chicken, this year we're giving them a slice of pie with the meal."
This is brown's fourth year of providing a free Thanksgiving meal.
"God put it on my heart first of all and I just believe in serving," Brown said.
Another firm believer in serving the community is Keaton Flanigan.
"I always knew i had a soft spot in my heart to kind of give back or see a genuine smile out of people," Flanigan said.
His dedication to service is what inspired the idea to give away eight Thanksgiving dinners to families in need six years ago.
This year, Flanigan's food drive provided dinners to 500 families.
"The vision just kept growing," Flanigan said.
He says being part of the larger effort to keep people in Spokane fed during the holidays is what keeps his event going every year.
"We are a strong community here in Spokane," Flanigan said. "We can continue to neighbor each other. I'm going to continue doing that."
Flanigan is looking to continue to double the number of people he feeds each year.
Also feeding hundreds of families each year is Gonzaga Prep's food distribution. One organizer says the impact of the annual food drive goes beyond just passing out food.
Over the last two weeks, students collected canned vegetables, boxed dinners, pasta, stuffing mixes and other Thanksgiving essentials.
The school says volunteers raised over 100,000 pounds of food to give to over 300 families, Second Harvest food bank and local church groups.
And for those still looking for their Thanksgiving meal, other resources in our community are available now through Thanksgiving day to help meet food insecurities this holiday season.
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