Families volunteer with Hope Ministries for Thanksgiving

SOUTH BEND, Ind.— Around one hundred and twenty volunteers spent Thanksgiving helping out at Hope Ministries for their annual dinner.

Over 300 were served at Hope Ministries’ building and 550 dinners were delivered throughout the community.

Many of those who volunteered did so with their family. The Neills and the Bolings served the folks at the 100 Center Apartments in Mishawaka.

Its just a lot of fun to meet everybody and to be part of all of this,” says Melissa Neill.

Melissa and Bill Neill have been taking 12-year-old daughter Briann to volunteer on Thanksgiving for the last four years.

“I love seeing the smile on their faces when they get their food,” says Briann.

Smiles gifted to new friends like Robin Dawson.

“You don’t find that every day. People will just walk right by you on the street. I’m very grateful to them. Very thankful,” says Dawson.

Offering up their time on the holiday is a tradition eight years strong for Sebastian and Jamie Boling and their three sons.

“Its something that we want them to learn how to give back, to know how fortunate they are to have family around them, and some people just don’t have family and to give back to their community when they have a plethora of things that other people don’t have,” says Jamie.

Sixteen year old Lucas says the experience has been great for him and his brothers.

“There’s always somebody out there that loves you. And even if you don’t feel that way, there’s always some place to come back to like here. We just give our time to show people that we love them and it’s always great to give back to the community because people are always searching for that,” says Lucas Boling.

To donate to Hope Ministries, click here.