Nov 27, 2020 3 min read

Thanksgiving was a little different for everyone this year, but even a global pandemic couldn’t stop the generosity and kindness of people helping others in need.

That was especially the case at the City Mission in Washington, which typically holds a robust Thanksgiving meal for its residents and continued to do so with a private dinner Thursday afternoon.

In past years, countless volunteers packed the City Mission’s kitchen and delivered Thanksgiving meals to the shelter’s residents. But the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to bring those volunteers in this year, so the City Mission’s residents took it upon themselves to prepare the food and serve meals in the dining area, while also delivering takeout dinners.

“It makes me feel good about helping people who can’t help themselves,” said resident Michael Namit as he brought takeout meals to people who weren’t staying at the shelter. “It’s nice to help people have a nice holiday.”

He and David Foster, who works as City Mission’s assistant food manager, were making dozens of to-go containers with turkey, corn and sweet potatoes for people coming to grab lunch around noon.

“This is a real nice meal,” Foster said.

Foster filled the takeout containers and Namit carried them to City Mission CEO Dean Gartland, who had a smile – behind his mask – as he greeted each person who came in from the rain to grab a meal.

“How are you doing today?” Gartland said. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

Robert Fields was the first in line for the takeout meal that included all the normal fixings of a Thanksgiving dinner, along with a Salvation Army bag filled with other food items for later.

“Boy, this smells good,” Fields said as he grabbed his takeout bags. “It’s a real good thing. They’ve been doing this for years. It’s a little different (this year), but it’s good they’re doing it.”

Each person who came in for the takeout meal was already wearing a mask upon entering, along with the residents who filed into the dining area to enjoy a sit-down dinner. Gartland was proud of the effort, but lamented that this year was different due to the pandemic.

“Every year, we try to make Thanksgiving as homey as possible to get that sense of family,” Gartland said. “It’s just not the same this year. It just doesn’t have that same feel to it.”

The heightened anxiety and loneliness that is filling many people who can’t visit family or friends during the pandemic this year includes people living at the City Mission, Gartland said. Families of some residents who would normally invite them to Thanksgiving dinner couldn’t as people downsized their gatherings, Gartland said, while others who are working to rebuild relationship with relatives also lost out on the opportunity.

“This time of year, Thanksgiving dinner (at City Mission) is filled with people and it’s decorated and there’s family. It’s just not like that this year,” Gartland said.

Still, Gartland was heartened by the willingness of the shelter’s residents to step up and help their neighbors during a difficult time. City Mission gave out 200 bags of groceries Monday night and delivered meals to people living at Thomas Campbell Senior Center in Washington on Wednesday.

“We want to have that sense of community,” he said.