REGINA, Sask. — Souls Harbour Rescue Mission is preparing to serve a full turkey dinner to hundreds of people Friday as it opens its doors for its annual Thanksgiving community meal.
The meal will be served Oct. 9 from 3 to 6 p.m.
Souls Harbour provides a hot supper every day, but Thanksgiving is one of three holidays each year when the organization hosts a larger community celebration.
Souls Harbour Rescue Mission director of finance and development Kathy Ingram expects a big turnout.
"We're preparing for between 400 and 500 people on Friday, and we're preparing a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings, including pumpkin pie with whipped cream," says Ingram.
Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving are the three annual holidays when Souls Harbour hosts meals of this size.
"Everybody loves to celebrate. Everybody loves to have a great meal, and when we can bring the community together to celebrate each other and to actually be a community — it's always a great time," says Ingram.
Preparations have been underway for several weeks, with food being cooked in advance and community support helping bring the meal together.
A popular online resource group, Hit The 'Stco, has supplied Souls Harbour with pumpkin pies.
"We have cooked in advance. When you cook for 400 to 500 people, you've got to start early … We usually end up with seven to nine volunteers on a daily basis. We'll have more volunteers on Friday because it is a bigger meal. If anyone is interested in volunteering, they can sign up on our website," says Ingram.
Ingram says between 400 and 500 attendees is an estimate, but Souls Harbour is preparing enough food to meet the expected demand.
"We will be ready for 3 p.m. and we'll go till 6 p.m. or until the food runs out, and that has never happened," says Ingram.
