To volunteer on Thanksgiving Day seems a most unnatural act. Many have family commitments and pressures from work during a tough economy can crowd our minds. It seems our free time is dwindling and our responsibilities continue to pile up.

So what does it mean when 430 volunteers appear in St. Charles on Thanksgiving Day to celebrate a community meal and give back?

Is it a simple act of charity? Perhaps it was for some.

Is it to just get that warm and fuzzy feeling on Thanksgiving? Not if you ask most of the people there.

Is it people with nothing better to do? True, some of us would not mind “escaping” our family once in a while.

Or is it a sign of something BIGGER?

It says something about a community when, even during one of the toughest economies in recent years and with many concerns over our own financial futures, we are able to come together for one day in such large numbers…and give thanks together. It’s for these reasons that THE BIG FEAST is a small part of something much bigger going on.

Here are some numbers that illustrate the magnitude of your efforts:

• 4 volunteers of the event identified themselves as homeless
• 200 meals sent out to those who couldn’t make it to the schoolhouse
• 250+ care packages including food and toiletries
• 430 volunteers by the end of the day
• 800 total meals served (that’s over 100 gallons of gravy, 16 turkeys, 250lbs of ham not to mention the side dishes and desserts!)
• more than 20 organizations and churches represented
• no one at McKinley School had to celebrate Thanksgiving alone

While these numbers are impressive, they don’t fully paint the picture of what the day was like. Ask anyone who served – there was a warmth of spirit and a welcome atmosphere.

Blurring the lines between the served and the server

This stems from the fact that, for some reason, the normal barriers went down. It was amazing to see what can happen when churches, organizations and individuals briefly set aside their differences to achieve something much greater.

The normal categories of race, religion, background, past, economic status or housing situation were irrelevant to that day. What came out was a beautiful expression of what makes us the same and can draw us closer…the desire to share in something bigger – the need for community.

Almost everyone who attended and ate at the event also volunteered in some way, even if only for a few minutes. This includes those that most would define as “needy.” The line between the server and the served became difficult to distinguish. No one wanted a hand out. They wanted to participate. They wanted the same thing as those who may have more in a bank account – to be a part of something bigger than themselves and their problems.

While this condition seemed to frustrate some, it appeared beautiful to many, and it points to that whole BIGGER STORY thing.

Here are some of the stories that we have heard that occurred on Thanksgiving that illustrate the BIGGER STORY:

• A family drove many miles to the feast. They parked near the front entrance, and slowly began to get out of the their station wagon. A young girl too ashamed to look at any volunteers’ faces trudged into the building. Tears had welled into her eyes, and you could tell she was not comfortable receiving a free meal. Later, in the dining room, that same family was laughing and enjoying the company of the community that had wrapped its arms around them. They were getting to know others at their table and wanting to learn more about the churches that were involved in the event. This is not because some volunteers were being “heroes to those in need” but because the family was welcomed collectively as equals to the dining table. There were no differences. They felt the joy of an unconditionally loving community.
• Five workers at a federal halfway house in St. Louis got to have a hot Thanksgiving turkey dinner. More importantly, they found out that someone cared about them enough to deliver a meal to their doorstep. Even without being there, the compassion that you gave on Thanksgiving reached them as well.
• A single mother with six children (three of which are not biologically hers) was able to have a full Thanksgiving meal with her family without the concern of preparing the food or doing the dishes. Even if it was just for a day, she was able to enjoy her children without having to worry about the logistics of a large meal. While this may seem a small relief, ask any single mother what it is like to constantly have to prepare meals and keep track of children. The relief of these tasks for one day means a great deal. The community made this possible.

None of these stories take into account the connections that were made between organizations, individuals in need, churches or faith communities.

And, none of these stories would have been possible without you…without each one of us.

We know that we are not done yet. This is a catalyst…a jumping off point to something much bigger and even more beautiful. Thanks to your help, feedback and generosity, next year’s event will be even better.

THE BIG FEAST was really about creating the atmosphere for the BIGGER STORY. It is our story. It is ours because we let down our guard to share as a community for one day.

What’s your BIGGER STORY?
We want to hear yours. Please post it in a comment below. Also, tell us any ideas you may have for making something like this a more common occurrence than just Thanksgiving. We need your ideas and insights.

Look for more opportunities in 2009 for us to come together as a community.

Merry Christmas to you all,

-Jeremy Nulik, the lucky husband of Jana…who really pulled this thing off

PS – THANK YOU! If you volunteered, ate, thought about us, prayed about us, took the time to read this post, then we owe you our deepest gratitude.

PPS – Make sure you check back for photos of the event day.

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