Members of the Catholic Women's League at All Saints Parish smile during preparations for a big Thanksgiving dinner Oct. 7. (Photos courtesy Yolanda Broderick)
COQUITLAM—For seven years, women at All Saints Parish have been working hard to make sure none of their neighbours go hungry on Thanksgiving. They teamed up with other charities and volunteers to serve turkey to more than 100 people Oct. 7.
Yolanda Broderick, president of the Catholic Women's League at All Saints, said the ladies hosted their first Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate in 2000.
"All food and all items are donated and we usually have 50 volunteers," she said. "On our first year, we hosted it at our parish gym and we had 30 people come. We had so much food to give away!"
After that first dinner, they connected with Como Lake United Church, which runs a food bank and has an industrial kitchen. They've been serving meals to far more people with that church's help ever since.
"Over the last six years, we have served over 500 men, women, children, and seniors."
Volunteers and donors include Costco, Cobs Bread, Knights of Columbus, No Frills, Safeway, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Thrifty's, and former B.C. ferries chef David Cheah.