As East Tennesseans sit down to celebrate a season of gratitude, Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) will once again serve Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless and needy during the annual Thanksgiving Celebration event on Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd. Meals will be served restaurant-style with tablecloths and centerpieces in the KARM chapel from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The KARM Thanksgiving Celebration, in partnership with Rothchild Catering, has been a fixture on Thanksgiving for over 31 years.

Rothchild begins preparing early for the event, which this year is estimated to serve over 400 hungry and homeless individuals. Anyone in need is invited to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which includes turkey, ham, dressing, potatoes, vegetables, and pies. The Knoxville Convention Center has cooked 50 turkeys for the event. Over 150 volunteers will assist KARM staff by acting as servers, hosts and hostesses, table captains and clean-up crew. Volunteers will also contribute 150 pies and desserts.

The Thanksgiving Celebration is a popular effort for volunteers each Thanksgiving. Offers pour in from hundreds who request to participate in set up, cooking, preparation, serving, hosting, parking and clean up duties. KARM attempts to accommodate as many volunteers as possible each year. Registration to volunteer begins as early as September each year. U.S. Cellular will also be on hand to provide free phone calls to anyone who would like to reach out to family and friends.

KARM kicked off its Thanksgiving week last Saturday, November 18th with its annual Baskets of Hope, the distribution of over 1,200 Thanksgiving food boxes to those who couldn’t afford to purchase groceries for a Thanksgiving meal for their families. Many thanks to over 15 area churches in zip codes where many people who applied for boxes reside who distributed the Thanksgiving boxes, as well as to the hundreds of volunteers who adopted and filled the boxes.

Registration to receive a Basket of Hope begins in early October each year. Knox Area Rescue Ministries, which is home to nearly 400 people each night and provides nearly 1,000 meals daily, has served the area as a Christian ministry since 1960. KARM is devoted to life restoration through rescue and building positive relationships. It provides food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and healing for hurting people in our community. To learn more visit www.karm.org.