By Alyse Horn

Light of Life Rescue Mission hosted its annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet this past Thursday, serving thousands of meals to neighbors in need over Thanksgiving week.

Food preparation began at 5 a.m., and over 100 volunteers donated their time to make the day meaningful for everyone.

Mayor-elect Bill Peduto served the first meal of the day at the mission, which included an assortment of turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, applesauce and dessert.

Light of Life Public Relations Manager Kate Wadsworth said that along with serving meals throughout the afternoon, volunteers delivered hot meals to residents in 14 local high-rise buildings.

The week leading up to Thanksgiving, volunteers also helped gather and package food that was delivered to families in need so they were able to cook dinner in their homes. Over 260 nonprofit churches and organizations were involved and helped delivered the baskets of food to the families the Monday before Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving Day, Wadsworth said the organizations “gave out a total of over 1,000 meals.”

In addition to the meals served that day, a tent was open outside the Mission where men, women and children in need could pick out a warm winter coat. The coats were donated by people in the community.

“We couldn’t have done this without the volunteers and donors,” Wadsworth said.

Light of Life Rescue Mission is located at 10 E. North Avenue and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year providing food, shelter and recovery programs for Pittsburgh’s poor and homeless.

Below: Volunteers handing out cookies and hot chocolate outside of the winter coat tent.