photo by: Elvyn Jones

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, diners enjoyed LINK's annual community Thanksgiving meal outside Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. The University of Kansas Alumni Association provided open-air tents for the event on West 10th Street.

Jennifer Pellegrini said there was a smile under her face mask as she prepared to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner provided by the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen.

“I’m happy,” she said Thursday afternoon. “This is a feast.”

The meals Pellegrini, her partner, Matt Chambers, and his son, Alex Chambers, had before them included turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and other holiday trimmings. It was a traditional LINK community Thanksgiving meal served in a nontraditional manner. Those choosing not to take their meals home from the distribution site ate at tables under open-air tents on the 200 block of West 10th Street rather than at the usual meal site, the basement of First Christian Church.

photo by: Elvyn Jones

New Lawrence residents Jennifer Pellegrini, from left, Matt Chambers and his son, Alex Chambers, enjoy their LINK community Thanksgiving meal Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020, under open-air tents on West 10th Street. The annual meal took place outside because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pellegrini said the warm, sunny day added to the enjoyment. She and Chambers had just relocated to Lawrence from Colorado and were staying in a motel while looking for a place to live.

“I found out about the meal online,” she said. “I was going to microwave something.”

Just as the family started to eat, Amy Carlson, a LINK board member, stopped by the table, offering coffee refills. Helping with the meal is a Thanksgiving gift she has treated herself to the last four years, she said.

“I love serving the Thanksgiving meal,” she said. “It’s a blessing.”

There were far fewer people eating the meal on-site this year, Carlson said. Most of those picking up meals took them home rather than eat under the tents. But far more meals were delivered Thursday to homes throughout Lawrence and Douglas County.

“We delivered more than 800 meals today,” she said.

That was a few more than the 750 that Deb Engstrom, dinner coordinator for LINK, said had reserved meals for delivery by early Wednesday afternoon. It was heartwarming to be able to provide a traditional Thanksgiving meal when many vulnerable residents were forced to forgo traditional activities because of the pandemic.

With LINK’s 50 volunteers delivering so many meals throughout the county, Engstrom predicted a sparse on-site crowd of far fewer than the 200 who usually show up for a holiday meal in the church basement.

“We delivered so many more meals because people were home alone,” she said. “The elderly can’t be with their families this year because of COVID. We wanted to put on a special meal for them.”