SCRANTON -- It was a night of feasting in the Electric City as the annual Friends of the Poor Thanksgiving Dinner was held Tuesday evening.
The event draws hundreds every year and this year was no different.
It was a packed room filled with people and the delicious aromas of Thanksgiving Dinner here at the Scranton Cultural Center.
The 36th Annual Friends of the Poor Thanksgiving Dinner was once again served up for folks hungry for good food and a good time.
The free dinner was open to anyone who turned out and organizers say more than a thousand people sat down for a plate.
Many here say having this event is extremely important.
“It’s nice because a lot of people like us don’t have much to get and you come here and it’s really good,” said James Russell.
Organizers of the dinner said it’s so much more than feeding people. It’s a chance to get the community together to celebrate the holiday. Volunteers say extra touches, like live music, lit candles and centerpieces makes all the difference.
Organizers say everything at the dinner, from the food, to the decorations, to the help is donated or done by volunteers.
“Every year we have the students from Western Wayne High School who take pride in doing the centerpieces and everybody has their own little niches and they take pride and they’re so happy to do it,” said Sr. Ann Walsh.
And those dining here for the evening say they appreciate those extra special touches which makes this an extra special night.
“I’m really impressed with all this, I really am,” said Sandy Shamro. “This is amazing how beautiful everything is.”
And for the first time, this year organizers said they were available to deliver dinners to people who couldn’t come to the Cultural Center.
They said this was due to volunteers who offered to take them to those people.