Organizations across the Omaha metro area are stepping up to provide a hot Thanksgiving dinner to those in need.
A number of volunteers spent their day in the kitchen preparing the holiday feast.
Volunteers at Messengers of Hope Ministry with New Visions Homeless Services in Council Bluffs are getting a head start on Thanksgiving meal prep.
The team has been working around the clock today to get the turkey dressed and the stuffing fluffed.
The turkey is stuffed, fixings hot out of the oven and let's not forget dessert. It's a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that'll feed more more than 200 people expected at MOHMS Place tomorrow.
"We got all of our turkeys in yesterday so they've been constantly prepping from sun up to sun down. Getting everything ready and cooking the turkeys and cooking the stuffing, things like that," said Shelter Director Jordan Wallar.
There'll be 30 to 40 pounds of stuffing and about a hundred pounds of turkey. With a feast that size, volunteers say it's important they get a head start to take a bite out of the meal prep.
"Tomorrow we'll come in early and do the mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing and whatever dinner rolls that go with it and all of that so it's a lot of work," said Steve Ruckman, volunteer.
The need for assistance like that provided by new visions homeless services is especially great during this time of year when temperatures drop.
"We're getting ready to enter our very busy season,Our numbers in the shelter will go from about 80 to 100 on average a night to about 100 to 150 average a night," said Wallar.
Volunteers who give back to the community through their work at MOHMS Place say they're grateful to help during this season of giving.
"I enjoy it. I deep down enjoy it," said Ruckman.
"People don't have anything or have very little - it's a very humbling experience," said Wallar.
New Visions Homeless Services is in need of donations and volunteers for their Christmas dinner on the 20th.
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