FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – A local nonprofit in Florence held its first annual free Thanksgiving dinner Thursday afternoon at City Grill.
The group is not falling short of a traditional Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving for most people is a day for food, football and family.
But “Tomorrow’s Promise” is helping brighten the spirit of the holiday for people with hot meals.
With more than a dozen tables set up inside and food to feed 500 people “Tomorrow’s Promise” volunteers are feeding families who may have not eaten otherwise.
“I came up kind of rough. I did some things that weren’t actually right. I went to jail a couple of times but now striving to inspire the youth to not go down that route,” said event organizer Brent Campbell.
Campbell put together the nonprofit Tomorrow’s Promise as a way to inspire the youth but also to give back.
Faye Demeritt helped volunteer during the free dinner. She says Campbell asked her to get involved months ago.
“I know where he came from, the things that he faced as a teenager in his youth and now to be an adult and giving back is an awesome thing,” said Demeritt.
Volunteers darted in and out of the kitchen delivering steaming plates of ham, green beans, sweet potato pie and other thanksgiving goodness.
Debbie Cox and Larry James were home alone because money is short.
“Praise God, it’s wonderful, it’s wonderful,” mentioned Cox.
So organizers hope the free dinner helps nourish the bodies and spirits of those without a place to go this season.
“It touched me very much that someone would do something like this,” said Cox.
“It’s still kind of a shocker. I still can’t believe it myself how everything has come together and how it worked out. You know this is one of the things that I wanted to do in life and it’s just overwhelming words can’t describe it to me,” explained Campbell.
Campbell says he wants to teach younger people to be grateful for their blessings on Thanksgiving, but also show the importance of giving back to the community.
