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Delmar Morris; Isis-Rae Goulbourne; Joab Taylor; and Mario Lopez prepare for Jerkyz' Thanksgiving Day meal donations.
These Connecticut restaurants and organizations are opening their doors for community Thanksgiving meals, offering seats at their tables or food to take home.
No reservations or pre-registration are necessary at this sites. Walk-ins are welcome.
Delmar Morris; Isis-Rae Goulbourne; Joab Taylor; and Mario Lopez prepare for Jerkyz' Thanksgiving Day meal donations.
Jerkyz Restaurant is providing locals with pre-packaged meals at no cost, with no questions asked. Owner Joab Taylor and his team distributed about 300 meals last year, according to a press release, and this year they plan to give out about 750. He's working with Isis-Rae Goulbourne of City Events Group to spread the word.
"We started this community give back in 2020 in response to the pandemic. The idea was to support people in need or alone, if they didn’t have the means or time for cooking on Thanksgiving we wanted to help," Taylor said in a statement.
At 1 p.m., guests can arrive to pick up a three-course meal with a choice of chicken, fish, and vegetarian options, along with sides and desserts, while supplies last. Pacific House and New Covenant Center in Stamford will receive deliveries with meals for their clients, through a new partnership with Food Rescue US.
227 Summer Street, 203-504-2188, @eatjerkyz.
A fried chicken lunch is served Wednesday afternoon at the St. Vincent de Paul Middletown soup kitchen at 617 Main St.
St. Vincent de Paul is providing Thanksgiving meals to anyone in need from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The organization is at 617 Main St. in Middletown. 860-344-0097.
Connecticut’s first pay-what-you-can restaurant opened Thursday in Hartford.
Chef Xavier Santiago of The Place 2 Be and several of his chef friends are cooking at the Hartford organization on Thanksgiving, offering a community meal from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with entrees like roast turkey breast, jerk chicken thighs and roasted chicken alfredo. The meal is complimentary for anyone in need.
Craig Wright is hosting the 5th annual Thanksgiving dinner at his Vernon soul food restaurant, offering a free meal to anyone in need from noon to 3 p.m.
"This dinner isn't just for the homeless...it's for anyone in need," he wrote in a post. "The community has given so much to my family and I. I've been homeless before and the majority of my family lives over 1000 miles away so I understand first hand how hard the holidays can be for some. So the least we can do for our community is give back the best way we know how."
No signup is required. Craig's Kitchen is at 13 West Main Street in Vernon; 860-871-6099.
Grab and go meals will be distributed at the door of Salvation Army Manchester Corps on Thanksgiving Day from 11:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m. Meals are available on a walk-in basis; no registration needed.
661 Main St., 860-649-7787.
