Souls Harbour offering takeout Thanksgiving meal for second straight year

For the second year in a row, there will be no sit-down Thanksgiving gathering at Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Friday’s annual feast will look similar to 2020, with the facility offering traditional turkey meals by takeout instead.

People who need a meal can line up outside the Angus Street location from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and pick up a meal, one at a time.

Executive director Joseph Miller said Souls Harbour is expecting a fairly large turnout and is preparing for about 600 people to show up.

“Of course, you lose the family feeling, the fellowship, the sitting around over a coffee and a piece of pie and discussing things,” said Miller.

The new facility opened in December of 2018 and the non-profit has only been able to open its doors for a sit-down Thanksgiving meal once since then.

“We’re a little frustrated that you can’t do it but you have to take in the consideration for the safety of everyone,” said Miller.

Normally, the commercial kitchen would be packed by staff and volunteers preparing the meal, putting whipped cream on pies and serving it along with a cup of coffee.

Souls Harbour usually has up to 50 volunteers for the big event. This year, there’s no more than four.

“We definitely aren’t needing the number of people that we do traditionally or have in the past and that’s kind of sad because we got a lot of people calling, ‘We want to help out,’ and unfortunately we just don’t need them right now,” said Miller.

Miller confirms all staff and volunteers are fully vaccinated and hand sanitizer will be provided for the meal pickup.

He said the community has been fantastic in donating all the food Souls Harbour needs for the meal. The only thing it could possibly need more of is pumpkin pie.

Those can be dropped off at 1632 Angus St., at the big white door off the back alley marked by a sign that says “Donations here.”