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Community Corner

Riverdale Park Church Works to 'See the Need and Meet the Need'

The Christian Life Center is preparing to host its annual Thanksgiving Day dinner from noon to 3 p.m. at The Alamo Restaurant.

Thanksgiving is a holiday associated with loved ones, memories, and a sense of togetherness. 

Each year, Pastor Ben Slye, members of the , and volunteers from the community work to create that atmosphere for the homeless and others in need from the Riverdale Park area.

The Christian Life Center began hosting free Thanksgiving Day dinners at their church on Taylor Road 11 years ago, Slye said, feeding around 300 people at the time. The meal has taken place every year since, save for 2009 when finances precluded it.

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“I’m from a big family with eight brothers and sisters, and Thanksgiving was always a great time for us,” Slye said. “I’ve always remembered those days and started thinking about those who didn’t have any family or a place to go on Thanksgiving.”

Slye said the church eventually became too small to host the dinners, so he reached out to establishments in the area and began working with  (5510 Kenilworth Ave.). The dinner now takes place annually from noon to 3 p.m. at The Alamo and feeds nearly 1,000 people.

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“It’s very heartbreaking to me to see how many people show up every year,” Slye said. 

The meal features traditional Thanksgiving foods, including turkey, ham, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies, and pastries. Last year, organizers began offering a Spanish meal in addition to the traditional meal to accommodate the diverse crowd, Slye said. 

The food this year will include 80 full chickens, 50 24-pound turkeys, 25 20-pound hams, 50 pies, Spanish baked goods, rice, beans, and more mashed potatoes than Slye could even estimate.

The church buys most of the food with money raised in outreach programs throughout the year, Slye said, and receives additional donations from Mega Supermarket in Riverdale Park, which provides drinks and Spanish baked goods.

In addition to the food, the church also runs a winter clothing drive on the same day, providing coats, hats, gloves and other clothes. in Riverdale Park donates many of the hats and gloves, and the church has partnered with businesses like Bank of America, which Slye said donate many of the coats. 

The church’s programs — including a carnival that took place earlier this year in The Alamo’s parking lot — also help to raise money for the coats. Slye said he expects to have about 500 coats and several thousand hats and gloves to give away this year.

“Last year, we started taking the coats directly to the street, instead of having them in the restaurant, and we got them on the people out there who literally did not have coats on,” he said. “We are really trying to see the need and meet the need.”

Between 80 and 100 volunteers come out each year, and Slye said it’s great seeing how many people show up to donate their time, including the mayor, council members, townspeople, and church groups.

“If it was a different day it would be one thing, but these people are really sacrificing their Thanksgiving Day to come out and help,” he said. “Everyone who comes is so thankful and so grateful. It sets an incredible atmosphere, and I love seeing that.” 

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