Two thousand people, 300 volunteers and a whole lot of turkey. These are the ingredients for the Elkhart Salvation Army’s annual community Thanksgiving dinner.

For more than 50 years the Salvation Army in Elkhart has offered a free Thanksgiving meal to people in the community who might not be able to afford that luxury on their own. The event was originally hosted at the Salvation Army, but in recent years attendance has grown so large that it is now hosted at the Matterhorn Conference Center.

“The numbers are bigger than ever,” said Major Steven Woodard, corps officer at the Salvation Army in Elkhart.

Preparations for this year’s dinner are well under way, with about 300 volunteers from the community already signed up to help with the event. By Monday volunteers will start cooking 60 to 80 donated turkeys and begin other food preparations.

Many of the volunteers have participated in the past, including a group of men who cook turkeys each year and call themselves the “Turkey Thugs.”

“These are people who have made it a family tradition to help with the meal,” Woodard said. “It gives you goose bumps to see so many people wanting to give back to their community.”

This year the Elkhart Salvation Army expects to serve 2,000 people, up 500 from last year. The meal will be a traditional Thanksgiving feast, with turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and various pies, among other Thanksgiving favorites.

“We want to treat people like kings and queens, even just for one day of the year,” said Woodard. “We want to let them know no one’s forgotten them.”

The Salvation Army is teaming up this year with the Matterhorn restaurant and Elkhart Rotary to serve the community dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The meal will be hosted at the Matterhorn Conference Center at 2041 Cassopolis Street, Elkhart.

The event is free and open to the public, with no sign-up required.



Where to get free meals for Thanksgiving:



Who: Salvation Army

Where: Matterhorn Conference Center

2041 Cassopolis St., Elkhart

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Contact: 970-0088



Who: First United Methodist Church

Where: 214 South 5th St., Goshen

When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Contact: 533-9518. Call if you want a meal delivered.



Who: Middlebury Church of the Brethren

Where: 507 W, Bristol St., Middlebury

When: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 17

Contact:www.mcob.org or 825-2955



Who: Faith Mission

Where: 801 Benham Ave., Elkhart

When: 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m.

Contact: 293-3406



Central Christian Church

Where: 418 W. Franklin St., Elkhart

When: 5 – 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21

Contact: 293-0668



Who: Pizza Depot

Where: 104 S. Jefferson St., Millersburg

When: 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Contact: 535-3223. Call 642-4229 if you want a meal delivered.



Other events:

The Elkhart Area Ministerial Association offers a Community Thanksgiving Service at 6 p.m. Sunday at Grace Lutheran Church, 831 W. Marion St. This year the service includes giving thanks by Church Community Services, Susanna’s Kitchen, Center for Community Justice and the Elkhart Community Foundation. Soup and bread will be served after the worship service.

The Goshen Community Thanksgiving service, sponsored by the Goshen Ministerial Association, will be held at First English Lutheran Church, Fifth and Madison streets. The worship service will be held 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Pumpkin pie will be served following the worship service. The community is invited to bring canned goods and/or a monetary offering to help feed the hungry in the community.

Miller’s Senior Living Community is hosting a Thanksgiving buffet on Thursday, Nov. 22, for $12. Miller’s Senior Living is located at 303 North Washington St., Wakarusa. RSVP to 862-1918.