CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The 80th annual Joe Salem Thanksgiving dinner took place Thursday at the Sokol Gym on Kostoryz Road, with about 500 meals given out for free.
Bags were handed out with turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes – and much more.
While it's changed locations over the years, the dinner itself was started by Joe Salem as a way to give back, and dates back to 1943.
"It's bigger than any of us can, can imagine, because it just kind of has this, like, compound effect on, on, on the, on the community," said volunteer Stan Medina.
Medina has been volunteering here with his wife for about 6 years.
That's around the time when the dinner moved from the Boys and Girls Club to the Sokol Gym and became a drive-through event during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But when it was indoors, he said everyone felt like one big family.
"They get to conversate, they get to laugh, they get to joke and not just be at home by themselves, you know?” he said. “So, that environment was very, very powerful and it was very humbling to see that.”
He explained the importance of helping every year, since he and his wife know how many families are dependent on the free meal.
Many community volunteers donate their time and resources to make it happen.
Elaine Medina said she wants to see it go back to the indoor format next year.
"I would love that, cause then we get to interact with people,” she said. “We get to talk to people, you know, and just enjoy a meal."
This year, meals were once again delivered to people's cars.
Stan said at least 25 volunteers helped on Thursday, and more during the week, to prepare. Some have been doing it for decades.
"Some have been doing this for 25 years and every time I see them, they just love it as much as I do,” Elaine said. “So, we -- this is something we just really look forward to.”
Stan also said seeing how thankful people are is an eye-opening experience every year.
He described someone who received meals on Thursday for herself and her husband, who has cancer.
“Just seeing that appreciation and that, that, that glow in her eyes, like man, that's pretty, it's a pretty powerful thing,” he said.
Elaine said they come every year to give back to their community, and always look forward to the next one.
As for the future of the dinner's format, she said to stay tuned to the event’s Facebook page -- Joe Salem Thanksgiving Dinner -- to see if it's moved back indoors next year.