Thankful for a life-giving holiday feast
- Mark Sabbatini
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Unhoused residents surviving a wintry day, grieving family seeking to help others after a loss among the hundreds gathering for Juneau’s annual communal Thanksgiving dinner
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Michelle Carroll says her family came from Seattle last year to visit in-laws in Juneau who are longtime volunteers at a communal Thanksgiving dinner and "we loved it so much this is going to be our tradition every year." But providing help to people during a time of struggle took on a far more personal meaning this year.
"We lost our son. He was with us last year," Carroll said, referring to her son, Jackson, 23, who died unexpectedly in March. "And so we have these aprons made in his honor. And now every time we serve we wear them."
The red apron she was wearing features an image of outreaching hands with the words "compassion," "service" and "community" in a white semicircle above. Below the image is the name of Carroll’s son. Among the other family members wearing them were his siblings, Jules and Anna, both 22, who were helping their mother serve plates of traditional Thanksgiving food to people gathered at the tables.
"I’m just thankful for all of our friends and family," Jules Carroll said. "The community we've been with has really come together to help support my family. Just being able to have people stopping and checking in on us and sharing. We'll get together with neighbors and have meals, and everyone's just been really good about supporting each other."
A total of 345 people signed up for meals this year, although more meals were packed into to-go boxes as extras for people attending in person and for delivery to places such as the Glory Hall shelter, according to officials keeping track for The Salvation Army Juneau, which hosts the annual event. The turnout is larger than last year — mirroring an increase in demand for Thanksgiving food baskets delivered last week by St. Vincent de Paul Juneau — although down from the estimated 450 meals served during some peak years.
Also joining the communal meal from out of state during a time of family hardship were Amber and Rusty Hendrickson, who said they moved up from Oregon a few weeks ago to care for a terminally ill family member with Alzheimer's disease. But difficulties getting housing means they’ve been staying at the city’s cold-weather emergency shelter — which adds to their challenges since he’s trying to help their ailing relative and she’s working as a caregiver at Riverview Senior Living.
Still, Amber Hendrickson said she has things to be thankful for this year.
"I was very fortunate to get that job," she said. Also "for life, for my husband and my family, my kids."
Temperatures dropped well below freezing overnight Wednesday, but people staying at Juneau’s cold-weather emergency shelter were allowed to remain there Thursday morning — instead of being required to leave at the usual 6:45 a.m. closing time — until a shuttle to take them to the communal meal arrived. That was reason to be thankful for some local residents experiencing homelessness who end up at the shelter when the weather turns severe.
Douglas Ebey Worthington IV, who was at a homeless campsite that was vandalized a week ago, said he’s thankful this year simply for being alive. And his plans for the rest of Thanksgiving Day are similarly short-term.
"I'll be staying alive somehow," he said.
The communal meal is intended by organizers to be just that — an invitation to everyone, not just people in need — and many who show up are individuals or small groups of friends, families who opt to volunteer and/or dine in lieu of traditional gatherings at home, and visitors who happen to hear of the holiday feast.
Sitting next to the Hendricksons was Jerry Adams, 82, a local pioneer as the longtime founder and owner of Jerry’s Meats & Seafood, who as a retiree has now spent more than a decade as a hospice volunteer.
"I’m thankful for being here," he said. "I’m practicing my favorite sport — people watching."
Adams said being at the communal meal also qualifies as a family gathering.
"Life is all about one thing: mutual respect for everyone," he said. "So in a sense we’re all family."
The ceremonial first cut of a smoked turkey before diners were served was performed by Bella Godkin, 6, wearing her official attire as the recently crowned Miss Alaska Junior Elementary, with the assistance of Jerry Harmon, 85, a volunteer at the meals for roughly the past 35 years. As in past years, a multitude of Harmon’s family members spanning multiple generations were also volunteering.
The event has shifted venues and operations over the years, starting at a church where people would bring turkeys and the gathering "used to be the best-kept secret in town," Harmon said. More recently it moved to The Hanger on The Wharf, where prepared foods provided by local businesses were served. Staffing difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the gathering relocating to the Juneau Yacht Club in 2022.
Harmon said it’s probably been a couple of decades since he had a carving partner as young as Godkin, but she proved to be fit for the task.
"She’s a perfect helper because she’s smarter than I was," he said. "She knew everything I was supposed to do."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
