MISSOULA — Serving the community and dinner for 200 people is no small feat. Thanks to dozens of volunteers, Thanksgiving was a feast at the Poverello Center and the Johnson Street Emergency Shelter.
Staff and volunteers at both locations served up a full Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, feeding hundreds that might not have been able to celebrate otherwise.
Hosting a holiday dinner for hundreds requires a lot of help and a lot of food. Thankfully, there was plenty of both to go around. Thanks to those who donated their time and all the food, meals were provided to all who showed up.
“Our chef and a team of volunteers has been cooking for four or five days to get everything ready,” said Stephanie Dolan, director of development at the Poverello Center.
Describing it as a hearty holiday meal does not event cover it. They prepped a whopping 65 turkeys, 500 pounds of potatoes and all the fixings, including stuffing and green beans.
They had about as many pumpkin pies as community members who came to help out.
“About 50 pies and more than 50 volunteers have been involved with getting this off the ground,” Dolan said.
The annual event is so popular to volunteer at that there is a surplus of people offering to come cook, clean and connect.
This is the second year Slaven Lee, executive director of the Missoula Public Library, has helped out at the feast.
“It's really meaningful for me to help out," Lee said. "Help the Pov out. Be here at Johnson Street and then also help out community members who I see regularly at the library. It’s just been really great to be able to greet people and try to provide some warmth today.”
The atmosphere was full of Thanksgiving smells and well-wishes.
“It's a real special thing," Dolan said. "It's obviously really tough on people around the holidays. So, we just want to make sure that people feel seen and loved and supported and cared for."
Dolan said the event is a good reminder that the holiday spirit goes beyond just Thanksgiving.
“The Pov always needs many, many things,” she said - listing warm clothing, winter supplies and toiletries as top priorities this time of year.
“If you're in the giving mood, it is the giving season,” Dolan said.
