Hundreds fed at annual Thanksgiving outreach meal at worship center

MILWAUKEE -- For the 22nd year, the "Word is God Worship Center" on Vliet and 33rd Streets in Milwaukee opened its doors for a community Thanksgiving outreach. Volunteers from Milwaukee-area churches came together to provide Thanksgiving dinner to those who might otherwise go without.

Eric Rasching told FOX6 News he had nowhere to go on Thanksgiving. He said he heard about the outreach meal from someone who saw his need and wanted to help.

"It's a wonderful experience for people to get out and enjoy Thanksgiving that don't have family," Rasching said.

During the outreach meal, guests were given special treatment in the form of good food and good conversation with people who are good listeners.

Gifty Ashirifi volunteered at the outreach meal. She is from the International Needs Organization in Ghana, Africa. Now a college graduate, she said she remembers when her village was on the receiving end of charity, and said she wanted to give back.

"There are other people over here who are also in that same situation. It gets difficult sometimes when people don't have anyone to share (Thanksgiving) with," Ashirifi said.

The outreach meal is a vision of the worship center's founder, and his son is carrying the tradition on.

"It's basically just showing acts of kindness -- something that our Lord and Savior commissioned us to do," Pastor Ansen Beverly Davis said.

The Thanksgiving outreach meal usually serves 300 to 400 people. That includes dinners delivered to those not able to leave their homes.