By mid-morning, the smell of turkey and the sound of volunteers have filled the halls of Affton Christian Church. It’s Thanksgiving, and the kitchen is busy with the 75 people it takes to make a free holiday meal possible. “It’s a madhouse,” Reverend David Woodard joked.

For the 15th year, Affton Christian Church — located at 9625 Tesson Ferry Road — will open its doors to the community to share a free Thanksgiving meal from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event welcomes all, with no reservations required.

“You see the smiles on people’s faces when they’re sitting down with others, maybe who they don’t even know,” Woodard said. “But they’re sitting across the table, sharing a laugh, sharing a meal.”

The event started years ago, when members of the church did a book study on radical hospitality. When they began to discuss what they could do to serve their community, their eyes turned to the senior population in Affton.

“At that time, Affton was the oldest zip code with the most older folks per capita,” Woodard said. “We talked about building community and having a place for people to gather. In addition, there were the financial constraints going on at the time. Especially with older people — they might not have the means or the money to cook a big meal for family, or even have family.”

Many seniors still swing by Affton Christian Church on Thanksgiving to have a meal, but Woodard says the population has expanded to people of all ages, from young families to those past retirement. 

Woodard adds that, over the years, a little community has formed. Some attendees have been at every Thanksgiving meal since that first one, fifteen years ago, and that attendees know each other from previous years. While they might not keep in touch throughout the year, they still sit together when the time comes to rejoin at the church.

But the Thanksgiving meal isn’t just limited to those who can make their way to the church building — volunteers will be sent out in cars to make deliveries to those who signed up in advance. Many of them are seniors who live in retirement homes or assisted living facilities.

“There were a couple of such facilities where 14 or 15 residents would order, and we would take it over there, and then they would eat in their communal space together,” Woodard said.

No food is wasted. Attendees are invited to grab a few meals from the “to-go station” so they have leftovers for the days to come. In the past, Affton Christian Church has given additional leftovers to feed firefighters at the local fire station or donated them to St. Vincent de Paul.

For volunteers, it makes for a busy couple of days and a labor of love. Of the 75 volunteers, Woodard estimates that only 25 are usually regular churchgoers at Affton; the majority of them are community members who seek to help. 

Work starts on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as the kitchen crew preps food for the day to come. Affton Christian Church gets its meat from Kenrick’s Meats & Catering, and other businesses donate food and drink to help them — Starbucks, for instance, supplies the coffee.

On Thanksgiving, volunteers are rushing around: feeding people, cleaning up, managing other volunteers. Some volunteers are dedicated solely to talking with attendees and making sure they feel welcome.

“It’s less about serving meals, and it’s more about serving people,” Woodard said.

Approximately 250 people celebrate Thanksgiving together at Affton Christian Church, according to Woodard. He says that, each year, the church evaluates whether this free Thanksgiving meal will be the last they do, but each year, they are reminded of the need and value of continuing on.  

“Our church firmly believes that we are all made in God’s image, and that when someone in our community is hurting, we’re hurting,” Woodard said. “If we can find places where people can give of their time and their gifts in serving people who are in need of that time and those gifts, I think we’re living out the gospel.”