Community Thanksgiving meal

Serving staff and volunteers

Kitchen crew

Serving crew

In celebration of Thanksgiving a first class meal was served to about 150  family members by the Oasis of Love yesterday.  The event was at the Family LIFE Centre in Crystal, Minnesota,  and was sponsored by the Donovan McNabb Fund. It was nice to watch Mr. McNabb along with a couple of other Minnesota Viking Football players and their family members in white aprons serving the meals and visiting with the guests.  They were most gracious.

Dining plate

Donovan McNabb visting a guest

The meals were prepared by Chef Jeff, who in addition to to his catering business also does training in food preparation and service.  Volunteers from Project Sweetie Pie also were actively involved in serving the meals and gathering well over 100 winter coats for the children and their family members.

After the meal winter coats and a variety of gifts were provided to those in attendance.  A massage therapist was also on hand to alleviate some stress.

On a personal note, I visited with one of the men in attendance. He had moved from Memphis, Tennessee to Minneapolis just within the past year and a half. He share something of his life story of being in prison for 20 years. Despite the cold Minnesota winters was extremely thankful for the quality social service system in Minnesota that has supported him in transitional housing.  He was most pleasant to visit with, and now is serving as a minister to others.  He hadn't eaten anything all day in anticipation of this special meal.  I was glad to see he wasn't disappointed.

Donovan McNabb, Pastors Diane and Rufus Thibodeaux and Michael Jenkins