Eric Bonness

On Thanksgiving Day, there will be a meal at The Pursuit Church for anyone who needs a place, said Eric Bonness, who heads the Celebrate Recovery program there.

The meal will be from 6-7 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. Thanksgiving service for those who would like to take part. Dessert will follow at 8 p.m., along with social time featuring games and coffee, according to Bonness.

“It’s not just for people that are sober or in recovery, it’s for anyone in the community,” Bonness said.

Many families come from Minot Air Force Base to celebrate with the group, as well as airmen who aren’t traveling for the holiday and don’t have many options, according to Bonness. He said these are in addition to members of the local community who take part.

There is going to be “tons of food” and no one will be wanting at their shared table, he added.

“For people who are struggling with mental health or are in recovery, holidays can be really rough, so we want to provide a place for people to come and just be together and enjoy the time,” Bonness said, explaining the program has received good feedback in the past.

Each year, the program has grown by about 50 people, and this year they are planning for 150-200 people to show up at the church on 20th Avenue Southeast to share their feast.

“It’s just a place for people if they’re needing a warm meal, or if they’re just needing people to be around,” Bonness said.

He said the meal is a shared effort with members of their community making portions of the feast, all with the goal of making others feel welcome during the holiday.

Not open on Thanksgiving Day

St. Leo’s Catholic Church Community Meal will not be open on Thanksgiving Day, according to information.

Our Lady of Grace Food Pantry and The Lord’s Cupboard Food Pantry will both be closed Friday.

– MDN STAFF