This Thanksgiving is expected to be a little difficult for everyone. Economists are predicting food shortages of turkeys and other staple Thanksgiving foods, and some people are still struggling financially after the pandemic. Thankfully, there are several organizations and restaurants in Fort Smith that are offering free Thanksgiving meals to those who need it. 

One of the most well-known organizations in Fort Smith that is giving away free meals is the Salvation Army. Currently, they are asking for donations from people in the community. They have a full list of items they are needing on their website. This includes items such as turkeys, milk, pie, cake, and other foods. With these donations, the Salvation Army will be having a sit-down dinner with 300 available meals. The dinner will be Thanksgiving day, Nov. 25,  from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Army is also in need of volunteers to help with the dinner. Make sure to check in and volunteer even if a meal isn’t needed!

Heritage United Methodist Church is also another good source for free Thanksgiving dinner. They will be giving away 3,000 meals at their church in Van Buren from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m Thanksgiving day. The Church is also going to be delivering to families that live anywhere in Crawford County, and will be having a meal drop-off area at Alma Farmer’s Market. This organization is accessible to people from many areas, so definitely a great resource to use.

Churches are always looking to help during the holidays. Another church, Midland Heights United Methodist, is offering free lunches at their building. The lunch will be held Nov. 25 and starts at 12 p.m. They are giving recipients the option to sit down and eat or take the lunch to-go. It will be a classic lunch with turkey, mashed potatoes, and other sides and toppings to create a realistic Thanksgiving meal experience. In their words, it’s “lunch with all the fixings.” This is a great and flexible option for dinner this holiday season.

It doesn’t matter what the situation is. Our community has created amazing options for anyone in need of somewhere to get a meal for Thanksgiving this year. It is always encouraging to see the people in our community step up and do something good to give back. Whoever chooses to take advantage of some of these options, they are sure to have a great-tasting meal and a memory that’ll last.