Church in Benton Harbor hosts Thanksgiving meal for community

For the fifth straight year, Overflow Church in Benton Harbor, hosted a Thanksgiving meal for the whole community.

The Pastors and patrons that packed the church have so much to be thankful for.

Cindy Bennett is the co-founder of Overflow.

"We want to provide hope, a warm meal, a conversation and joy,” said Bennett.

Melody Eddie is a Benton Harbor resident who attended the event for the first time.

"My grand-daughter and my Aunt Margie are here with me today and we come out to have a nice Thanksgiving meal together.”

31 turkeys in all were donated by those who either go to the church or by members of the community.

Gabrielle Engle is a Pastor at Overflow Church.

“The holidays come around, there are a lot of families who don’t have the opportunity to have that Thanksgiving you see in the movies,” said Engle.

This is the first year the church has partnered with neighboring Fairplain Presbyterian to help accommodate the rest of the community.

Even that church’s Pastor, who was supposedly on vacation, was handing out hot meals.

"This is one opportunity for us as a church family to come together and create an atmosphere where people feel they are coming home,” said Engle.

For Bennett, who's seen the event grow from 25 people the first year, says it's a blessing to help those who truly need it.

“So it’s not even about a church. It’s about pouring in to this community,” said Bennett.

For one day a year, a church for the thirsty, is feeding those who are keeping the faith.

“To me it means a great deal because I’m alone. So I’m not going to do thanksgiving, so this is the only thanksgiving I’m doing,” said Eddie.