POTTSVILLE, Pa. — This is where volunteers have been cooking Thanksgiving meals since midnight. The Church of St. Patrick in Pottsville.
The food is not for their families but for people living throughout Schuylkill County.
The Knights of Columbus resurrected their free Thanksgiving meal tradition after a two-year hiatus.
Reminding everyone there's always a seat at their table, especially during the holiday season.
“It's the same meal. So therefore, this is the same fellowship. This is the Knights of Columbus table that we're sharing with everyone else so that we can enjoy the fellowship and be thankful for what we have,” explained Michael Mcfadden, Schuylkill Council 431 Grand Knight.
Volunteers with the Knights of Columbus handed out over 1400 free Thanksgiving meals, donating them all to people throughout Schuylkill county.
“This is my first time experiencing it cause I'm new here at St. Patrick's, and I'm just overwhelmed by the volunteers, the hours. And on Thanksgiving day, they're all here to help others,” added Father Philip Rogers, the Pastor at the Church of St. Patrick's.
Bill Burke from Port Carbon brought his entire family to help prepare meals before they got to enjoy their own.
“It's important to give back because a lot of people don't have a family. And people may be by themselves, and they may be unable to prepare food themselves, and this is a way of providing holiday cheer to them,” he said.
And if people in need weren't able to find a way to the church, other volunteers like Marcia Fegley hand-delivered hot meals to their doorsteps.
“I see people every day that don't have anyone to spend time with or have food in general with working in the field I work in. So this, I think, enhances knowing that you're helping somebody,” she said.
The Burke family is already looking forward to volunteering next Thanksgiving.
“This will be a later tradition from now on, and it's very fun to do, and I really like it,” added Bill Burke’s daughter, Anna Burke.
See more news stories on WNEP's Youtube page.