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Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Salvation Army is holding a community Thanksgiving feast Thursday.
Major Gina Halverson from Juneau's Salvation Army talked to News of the North about their Thanksgiving lunch.
"The Thanksgiving meal is tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day from 11 to one at the Yacht Club. And we plan on having a sit-down dinner for people to come on in and to be able to share. We have Bridget Weiss who's going to be cutting the turkey for us. We have a ceremonial turkey cut. She has agreed to go ahead and cut the turkey for us. We're gonna have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner feast with the turkey and the stuffing and the mashed potatoes and vegetables and pie. And just to kind of make it really nice for just anybody who wants to come in and share a little bit of time with other people during Thanksgiving season."
Halverson said the Thanksgiving lunch is open to anyone.
Halverson compared this year's Thanksgiving to community meals over the pandemic.
"So over the pandemic, we did do a Thanksgiving meal, but it was a drive up and you would grab a to-go container. People were able to just take them home. It's nice to be able to have everybody come back in and to be able to sit down and just be with other people. Coming back together again, which is really a great thing."
Halverson said why it's important to her to have the community back together.
"I think when we really see how our community really does help each other out, it just makes such a difference and encourages everybody. It reminds us why we are thankful for all the things that we have here in Juneau."
Halverson said what she's thankful for.
"We couldn't do it without our volunteers. And we couldn't do without the donors who make it happen. So we're really, we're really thankful for such a giving community and to be able to sit down and have a Thanksgiving meal with our community. It's a great thing."
Halverson said what the volunteers help with.
"Right now we are maxed on our volunteers. They just keep coming, which is so great. We have volunteers who help serve, who help cook, who help prepare and set up the tables so that everything looks nice, who helped take care of the dessert, to help take care of the drinks. Then we have a whole cleanup crew following that. So we have a load of volunteers that are coming in. We really could not do Thanksgiving without them."