3,140 Thanksgiving meals served at Durham Rescue Mission with help of 670 volunteers

The Durham Rescue Mission helped serve 3,140 meals Thursday at its 49th annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner.

Thanks to 670 volunteers, the event helped feed homeless, hungry and needy men, women and children in the Triangle.

“I just like volunteering for people who are in need,” said 11-year-old volunteer Makeda Mekonnen.

Makeda says it’s this joy that makes it all worth it.

“All the people who are in need and need food and don’t have anyone on Thanksgiving, Christmas,” Makeda said. “It makes them feel good.”

People attending the event received a hot meal, $50 voucher cards to the Durham Rescue Mission’s Thrift Stores, a bag of groceries and clothing. The cards are valid for three months.

The event distributed $95,250 worth of voucher cards, 15,731 articles of clothing and 1,411 bags of groceries.

Event organizers also had drawings for a 65-inch 4K Smart TV, three Chromebooks, two Nintendo Switch gaming consoles and bicycles.

For kids, there was also a bouncy house, shooting baskets and getting balloon characters.

Durham Rescue Mission CEO Rob Tart says it’s the connections made at this annual event that can help people who are struggling with homelessness in the long run.

“The problem with homelessness is not a lack of roofs or housing,” Tart said. “The problem with homelessness is there’s not enough connection.”

The Durham Rescue Mission is also making deliveries to more than 1,000 people.

“It makes them happy,” Makeda said. “Everyone deserves a chance to be happy.”