Thanksgiving dinner at Souls Harbour expected to feed hundreds Friday

Hundreds of people will have a place to enjoy a turkey dinner this Thanksgiving, thanks to weeks of preparation and community support. Organizers expect between 400 and 500 people for a free Thanksgiving meal Friday at Souls Harbour in the Gerri Carroll Hope Centre, though they’re preparing for the possibility of even more.

Anthony Byamukama, a fundraising and development officer helping organize the dinner, said previous community meals have served more than 500 people.

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“We are expecting between 400 and 500 people, or it could even be more,” Byamukama said.

The dinner will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with organizers planning to keep serving until the food runs out.

But getting that much food on the table takes more than a few hours of kitchen work.

Byamukama said planning and fundraising began more than two months ago, with volunteers spending the past week preparing food ahead of the big day.

Some meals are already prepared, while a team continues working behind the scenes to ensure everything is ready for Friday afternoon.

Typically, between seven and nine volunteers help put on the community dinner. Five volunteers have already been helping with food preparation.

While volunteers handle much of the work, community donations are helping fill the plates.

Universal Collision Centre has contributed 40 turkeys, while other supporters have helped provide food and supplies, including pumpkin pies.

Byamukama said donors’ generosity makes the dinner possible.

“If it wasn’t because of the donors, we wouldn’t be able to make this possible,” he said.

The organization has also been hearing from people looking forward to the Thanksgiving meal.

Byamukama said previous dinners have drawn large crowds, and organizers continue to see strong demand for the community meals they provide.

For some, Friday’s dinner will be a chance to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal without worrying about preparing or paying for one.

For others, it’s a chance to gather with people in their community over the holiday weekend.

“We are happy to be part of the community. We are happy to work with everybody to ensure that everybody gets to enjoy this community meal,” Byamukama said.

With turkeys donated, volunteers preparing food, and final arrangements underway, organizers say they’re ready to welcome the community.

Souls Harbour Rescue Mission is preparing to serve hundreds of people a free Thanksgiving turkey dinner on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)

Byamukama said organizers have everything they need for Friday’s dinner, but support for the organization’s other programs remains important year-round.

“We just ask the community to continue supporting our programs, to continue supporting all the initiatives that we have,” he said.

For now, the focus is on Friday afternoon and making sure as many people as possible can sit down to a Thanksgiving dinner.