SPOKANE, Wash. – Several restaurants in the Northwest are offering free meals on Thursday to ensure that those spending Thanksgiving alone have someone to share it with.
Vance Emerson, co-owner of Ponderosa Bar and Grill in Spokane Valley, shared why his restaurant began offering free meals in 2005. “We’re here for everybody,” Emerson said. He recalled a memorable encounter, “I remember, uh I was at the UPS Store and one of the gals that was there and she goes, you remember me and I go? No, I don’t. And she goes, I wouldn’t have had a Christmas without you.”
Michael C. Brown, owner of Fresh Soul in Spokane, also continues this tradition. “We had a line from the front door all the way to the freeway,” Brown said, reflecting on the community’s response. Last year, Fresh Soul fed 375 people, and this year, they aim to serve 500. Brown expressed his future goals, “I believe in the future it will be 1000. Yes, I do.”
A recent Pew Research survey indicates that around one-third of Americans plan to have Thanksgiving dinner at their own home this year, whether hosting others or dining alone. Another 39% plan to go to someone else’s home, while 3% will head to a restaurant, hotel, or other public place.
Brown emphasized the joy of serving others without expecting anything in return.
“You want to serve others. Because when you can serve without the expectation of getting anything in return, then you truly know what this is to serve,” he said.
Both Emerson and Brown highlight the importance of community and the joy of being around others during the holidays.
Emerson stated, “Like I said, a lot of people have the means but they don’t, you know, they don’t have anybody to be with. And so this is our way of giving back and being part of their family.”
