The work of organizations devoted to helping the less fortunate epitomized the true meaning of Thanksgiving Thursday.

Both Acadiana Outreach Center and St. Joseph Diner served Thanksgiving dinners with all the fixings to the homeless and others who could not afford to make their own dinner.

 

"Today we have a tremendous amount of volunteers helping out," diner director Autumn dela Houssaye said. "We're trying to make it as festive as possible.

 

" Members of the social group Real Recognize Real and other volunteers waited on the diners.

 

The diner serves meals every day, but dela Houssaye said it was particularly important to provide a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey, yams, corn bread dressing, salad and ham, to make them know they are part of the holiday.

 

A few streets over at Acadiana Outreach Center, the atmosphere was festive as the center's Voices of Recovery choir belted out songs for the crowd. Families and individuals showed up to eat. It seemed just as many were there to volunteer. "It's an exciting event," Outreach Center CEO Rick Newton said. "We have people that have been volunteering for this since the beginning. Our volunteers began calling in the middle of October.

 

" Ruth Chris' Steakhouse catered the event, as it has for the last 12 years.

 

Volunteers served diners and donated desserts and breads.

 

"Times are tough right now, so I want to do as much as I can to help the community," volunteer and outreach center employee Tynesia Robinson said. Everyone had a different reason for donating their time.

 

Evelyn Patterson showed up to the event with her daughter. "I lost my husband on Valentine's Day from cancer and I'm just here to honor him and glorify our Lord and give back to the less fortunate," she said, "and realize how blessed I am for what I have."