Thanksgiving Saturday, November 25, 2006

Sandy Montgomery holds a container of mashed potatoes as Evelyn Hedden adds gravy. The women, both from Pleasant Home United Methodist Church were helping prepare meals for the hungry at Rockwood United Methodist Church in Gresham on Thanksgiving day. Volunteers from six area churches served more than 170 free turkey dinners on Thursday afternoon.

The Gresham Outlook assigned me to photograph a couple of "meals for the hungry" programs run by churches in Gresham on Thanksgiving Day. Immediately east of Portland, Gresham has a population of nearly 100,000 making it the largest suburb of the city. US Bank has a large data processing center in Gresham, and there is a large Boeing parts plant. There are also a few businesses in the high-tech sector. More people, however, commute to Portland.

Kari Gustafson serves a turkey dinner to Juliavera Calisto of Gresham at Rockwood United Methodist Church on Thanksgiving day. Gustafson, who now lives in Vancouver, Wash., was volunteering with other members of Peace Church of the Brethren, which she used to attend.