As many as 5,000 people flocked to the Washington Convention Center on Wednesday for a Thanksgiving meal as part of the annual Feast of Sharing event.
Over 1,000 volunteers greeted attendees and directed them to more than a meal: There were clothing distributions, health screenings, and even free haircuts and manicures.
The Salvation Army, Safeway and over a dozen community agencies teamed up for the event.
Dennis Smith, of the Bennett Career Institute, was there with a team of barbers, “because once upon a time, I needed a free haircut, and now I’m back here, giving back to someone who needs it.”
Volunteer Shellie Young, a D.C. native, has come back to volunteer every year since 2000, “because a lot of times, people in the community, we always talk about ‘someone else should do something.’”
This time, she said, “I wanted to be the someone.”
Along with the meal, Young’s favorite thing about the event is the health screenings, she said.
“Sometimes, we don’t understand what resources we have that are available to us, in terms of health care,” Young said.
Along with the 1,000 volunteers who signed up, more came through the doors of the convention center to help out, said Angela Soriano, the Salvation Army’s volunteer and donation drive manager.
But the need doesn’t go away after the holidays, Soriano said. “We have food drives and clothing drives that go on year-round because people always have that need.”
If you’d like to do your part this holiday season, you can donate to The Salvation Army online.
