Volunteers with knives of steel and hearts of gold begin carving turkeys and hams at 6 a.m. at Glide Memorial Church. And they had their work cut out for them.
After a tough year, Mia Lebron knew she wanted to help, "I lost my job, became homeless and pondering over my life, being blessed finding a job and a place to live. My prayer to god has always been, show me how to be grateful to you."
Lebron was one of 500 volunteers who served 5,000 Thanksgiving dinners to those who are less fortunate.
"They had turkey, salad, cantaloupe, cake and ice cream," Rodney Allen said. "They also had biscuits. So much, I can't name it all, it's so nice."
But the most special ingredient at Glide is the founder, Reverend Cecil Williams. He greets his dinner guests at the door, and offers words of inspiration for the entire community.
"To help people become more human and people can help if we begin to give more of ourselves and that's what we need," Williams said. "Giving more. giving more."
It's a notion that people are thankful for, on both sides of the Thanksgiving table.
"I could have easily, just like everyone else here, could have been standing in that line today," Lebron said.
Allen added, "I wouldn't have any place to go, this place is wonderful."
Thanksgiving is special, but Glide does this year round -- three hot meals a day, 364 days a year. Donations and volunteers are always needed.
