An ideal Thanksgiving involves rest, reflection, and communing with family members, but unfortunately, this expectation is the last thing on some people’s minds due to their inability to afford a traditional meal. As a result, outreach ministries and organizations in metro Atlanta and surrounding areas hosted Thanksgiving turkey giveaways and gave out free meals.

On November 18^th, World Changers Church International (WCCI) continued a tradition that has remained a fixture of hope in the community: our annual Feeding Families outreach. Over 1,000 recipients either drove or walked up to the WCCI campus to receive the ingredients for a free Thanksgiving meal. Though the event began at 9:00 a.m., people began showing up as early as 7:00 a.m., as they did not want to miss out. Recipients continued arriving through the end of the event at 11:00 a.m. During Feeding Families, volunteers worked together, smiling while they served recipients. They did everything from signing newcomers in and assisting pre-registered individuals to carrying boxes, directing traffic, and praying with attendees. Volunteer Branson Wright stated that “pure religion is defined as caring for those who are in need; we did that on Saturday.” This is truly important; after all, hope is not always easily accessible.

Food insecurity is an unfortunate and common reality, and the general cost of living continues to climb. A volunteer stated, “One young man didn’t have food in his house at all! But by attending Feeding Families, he received enough food to last an entire week.” Statistics show that the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is about $62, which is reported to be a 25% increase from 2019. While prices of turkeys and other traditional fixings are estimated to decrease because of cooling inflation, hope can be difficult when the future won’t arrive before Thanksgiving Day. In addition, the autumn and winter seasons are notoriously stress-inducing times due to the cost of gifts, the darkening sky, and the fact that grief and family tensions are often amplified by the holiday season.

Volunteer Patricia Grant stated, “I know what the experience is like, to be the one in need. I feel more than honored for this opportunity. I am very honored and grateful to be here!” One recipient expressed an equal amount of gratefulness. “I actually felt like a celebrity,” she stated, “Everybody was wishing me well and blessing me as I went through.” Indeed, as individuals drove through the line to receive their Thanksgiving food, the volunteers displayed excitement, organization, and an earnest desire to help.

WCCI endeavors to show Christ’s love for everyone and anyone who is in desperate need of encouragement and support during this potentially tumultuous time; we offered free turkeys and boxes of fixings to provide people with the food needed to make their Thanksgiving enjoyable and memorable. The food boxes included traditional holiday sides, such as green beans, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and more. Unfortunately, in the past few years, churches have been discouraged from this sort of outreach due to the unknowns of COVID-19; years later, however, volunteers have come back and are ready to serve. WCCI volunteers were encouraged by the level of organization. A few of them could be spotted dancing and giving praise.

The unity and collaboration from the volunteers and staff of World Changers is beautiful. Tujuanza Ernest, the Events and Activities Manager at WCCI and one of the organizers of Feeding Families, acknowledged, “The unity and collaboration from Volunteers and the staff of World Changers is amazing. The staff will take time from their workday to pack boxes and ensure we are ready for the event. It’s beautiful to see it all come together.” At check-in, a number was put on attendees’ cars that informed volunteers how much food they needed. This allowed for prompt delivery; even young people helped load the cars. Recipients didn’t even have to get out of their vehicles to be blessed!

Tujuanza remains overjoyed that volunteers came out to serve in this capacity. “They sign up not knowing the weather conditions, but just having a heart to serve. There were so many amazing moments, but seeing our volunteers come out to serve is such a blessing.” Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on God’s goodness, and this is best done by showing His goodness to others!

World Changers Global Missions volunteers also took the initiative to expand their reach to downtown Atlanta for those who couldn’t travel to the WCCI campus. This second part of Feeding Families included driving around to distribute meals and toiletries and offer prayer to the unhoused community. WCCI was blessed to feed 150 individuals a hot lunch. Tujuanza stated, “I’m believing God that we will be able to provide other essentials like shoes and coats during our next outreach.”

Volunteer Cynthia Granger noted how the event was “humbling.” She stated, “I don’t wait for Thanksgiving Day nor the season to give thanks because being thankful is a part of my daily life. Demonstrating the love of Christ is always in season.” Cynthia is grateful to God that Pastors Creflo and Taffi Dollar have executed a vision that continues to meet the needs of the community in different capacities. One recipient stated, “I joined World Changers three years ago. Ever since then, I have known the true meaning of grace.”

Because of the support from members and volunteers of WCCI and the partners of Creflo Dollar Ministries who have responded to God’s call, the Culture of Care is exhibited to and felt by the surrounding community. More than 1,000 people were able to experience the blessing of our Feeding Families Outreach, but what remains most important to us is that families were able to take a break from their traditional day-to-day and enjoy the holiday without the burden of worrying where the meal was coming from. As Tujuanza communicated, “Nothing can replace quality time and memories made.” Due to World Changers following the command of the Lord, members of the community can find hope that contributes to and extends past the joys of Thanksgiving Day. If you are interested in making a mark in the lives of people that cannot be erased, check out all of the opportunities to get involved at missions.creflodollarministries.org.

Click the video below to see the Recap Video of the 2023 Feeding Families Outreach.

*Interviews are edited for length and clarity.