SASKATOON -- Things may be a little different this year over at The Lighthouse for its Thanksgiving dinner, but not even a pandemic could stop the emergency shelter from offering a turkey dinner to the people of Saskatoon.
"This year we are packaging all of their meals individually. Pie, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, all the fixings," Miriah Krochak, food service manager at The Lighthouse Supported Living said.
Despite not offering a sit-down meal, Krochack said they are still excited to offer the classic Thanksgiving spread in a way that keeps people safe.
"We’ve had some really unique experiences here. We’ve had people who didn’t even know what Thanksgiving was, which was bizarre," Krochack said.
"You sit down with them and tell them about Thanksgiving, and ask ‘what are you thankful for?’ and sometimes they say nothing because some of them are going through a hard time."
An Edmonton company reached out to The Lighthouse days before Thanksgiving, offering some support to help with its holiday Monday plans.
"MHCare Medical donated $1,000 to sponsor our whole meal here at the Lighthouse," Krochack told CTV. "They are coming back another day in November to donate winter coats and blankets to all of our residents, that’s about 300 people."
Despite the differences this year, those at the supported living centre aren’t concerned, they know the importance of its Thanksgiving tradition.
"It’s about being a community, and here at The Lighthouse we see everybody here, our Lighthouse friends as family, and that’s what we aim to do, kind of being the heart of a home," Krochack said.
"Just like you would at home, have turkey and all the things, it’s including everybody and making sure no one misses out."
The meal service began at 4 p.m., on Monday.
