11/4/21 - Mel Trotter Ministries In Need Of Volunteers For Thanksgiving Dinner

Mel Trotter Ministries will bring back in-person Thanksgiving Community Meal.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Mel Trotter Ministries announced  its annual Thanksgiving Community Meal will be back in-person this year at DeVos Place on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 25. The organization expects to serve over 1,500 people with a free Thanksgiving meal.

“We are so excited to be able to be together again, and to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus to anyone who is alone or hungry this Thanksgiving,” said Dennis Van Kampen, President and CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries. “Being in community is what it’s all about and we definitely missed that last year.”

Mel Trotter, in partnership with Cherry Health, will also be offering a free COVID-19 vaccine clinic at DeVos Place the morning of the event.

“For the last several months, our staff has held regular vaccine clinics at Mel Trotter,” said Dr. Jenny Bush, director of pediatrics and COVID response coordinator at Cherry Health. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect ourselves and our community from COVID-19, and we want people to feel encouraged to get vaccinated. We know a big part of that is meeting people where they’re at, making them feel comfortable, and making the process as quick and easy as possible. We hope that by offering an onsite COVID-19 vaccine clinic at this Thanksgiving community event, we are able to remove barriers and increase vaccination rates for our neighbors experiencing homelessness and anyone in the Grand Rapids community who attends.”

The vaccine clinic will run from 10 a.m. to noon, and the meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the ballroom at DeVos Place Convention Center, 303 Monroe Ave NW. There will be free onsite parking. Doors open at 10 a.m.

There are still a few volunteer opportunities available, and sponsorships are still needed to cover the cost of the meal. Information at www.meltrotter.org/thanksgiving.