History of KARM Thanksgiving dinner
Michael Johnson was finishing off a plate of green beans, turkey, mashed potatoes and pecan pie, which he described as the most decadent he's ever had, in the chapel at Knox Area Rescue Ministries Thursday morning.
"My family's out of town, but I've got good friends here," said Johnson, 67. "There's a lot of good men here."
Johnson was among more than 400 people expected to enjoy free Thanksgiving Day meals at KARM, a Christian ministry that provides shelter as well as daily meals for the homeless and needy.
By 10:45 a.m. dozens of people were already lining up for the dinners, some of them coming from an encampment of tents set up under a nearby overpass.
"There are some people who come every year and it's not just the homeless," said Burt Rosen, president and CEO of KARM. "Loneliness becomes more acute around the holiday season. Certainly part of the draw is the Thanksgiving meal, but the other part of it is being around people and not being alone."
About 50 turkeys were prepared for the meal at the Knoxville Convention Center this week. Plates filled with stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans were served by volunteers along with coffee and iced tea.
Sharon Carroll, who has lived at the KARM shelter since her mother died last May while also battling a skin disease, was among those who sat down to eat just before noon.
"The food was good, I just wish I had more of an appetite," she said, pushing away her half-finished plate. "I wish I didn't have to stay at a shelter, but I had to this time. I've just been trying to get my life together."
At a nearby table, Kendall Stafford said he has been doing the same thing - trying to get his life together after getting out of drug rehab seven months ago.
"I've been all over Tennessee," Stafford said. "I wasn't expecting to be here, it's just a thing that happened."
After his release from rehab in Knoxville, Stafford said he lived at a half-way house before coming to the shelter.
"I wanted to stay in Knoxville because it's so beautiful and start a new life," he said.
On Thursday, he sat down with others including volunteers at each table to take a moment and enjoy some good food and company.
"My family is out of town, so I wanted to do something to share my blessings," said Martin Vargas, 49, a volunteer and "table host" tasked with helping others feel welcome at each table. "It's just like being at home. Sometimes someone brings a new boyfriend or a friend that you don't know. So you just sit down and have a great meal and get to know them."
Whitney Foust, another volunteer, works at the dinner with her family each year.
"I like to make sure the people that may feel forgotten feel like they have family," she said. "If I can help provide that just for a short time, that's what I like to do."
"It really is a community effort," Rosen said. "We couldn't do it if not for the generosity of this community and the volunteers that have come to make this part of their Thanksgiving tradition."