‘Labor of love,’: Annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving dinner to feed 1,000 people
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IDAHO FALLS — For nearly 40 years, the Idaho Salvation Army has hosted its annual Thanksgiving meal to help feed 1,000 people and to give back to the community.
The dinner is free to the public and will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, located at 640 E. Elva Street.
“Honestly, we’re just blown away, and at the same time, incredibly humbled. This is a thing that we could not do by ourselves,” Lt. Jon-Marc Lamb of the Salvation Army of Idaho Falls said.
For Jon-Marc and his wife, Brianna Lamb, this is their first year taking on the Thanksgiving dinner since the departure of Capt. Steve Staneart and his wife left for a new assignment as pastors in California earlier in the year.
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Jon-Marc said about 70 volunteers will come and help them on Thanksgiving morning to ensure folks can get a meal.
“We are so blessed and incredibly humbled and honestly just super impressed by this community,” Jon-Marc said.
One of the individuals who has been assisting in cooking the meal is Juan Contreras, a realtor in Idaho Falls, who this Thanksgiving will mark his 10th year of helping out.
Contreras told EastIdahoNews.com that cooking has always been a passion of his, and that the dinner is a chance once a year to do it while helping the community.
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“The people that I do it with, they’re a great crew. We love getting together each year and just cooking this for the community,” Contreras said. “We’re like best friends that have never left each other. We come back and, you know, we enjoy each other’s company and have a great time.”
He said many of those who help with the dinner have been there before he started leading the kitchen, such as Greg Stoddard from the Museum of Idaho and Rene Lopez, the former director of the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission.
Before moving to the Salvation Army to help cook the Thanksgiving meal, Contreras mentioned that he previously cooked at the City of Refuge center, where Lopez recruited him to assist at the Salvation Army.
Part of his crew also includes his own sons and the son of a family friend who has been helping for six years.
“This is a labor of love,” Contreras said.
Discussing the food, Contreras said the meal will require about 28 to 32 turkeys, which will be slow-cooked on Wednesday evening, and also 14 to 16 pieces of ham.
Most of the food used is either purchased from the Salvation Army or donated by local businesses.
Jon-Marc said in general, the total cost for the whole meal is around $3,500 to put on.
Contreras said his crew will help make 12 trays of roasted corn, green beans, mashed potatoes and stuffing. The gravy is also made from scratch, and his team makes about 18 gallons worth that is used.
“Last year, we fed the most. We made about, I think we served about 952 meals,” Contreras said. “We are anticipating a little over 1,000 people coming by.”
Jon-Marc said the Salvation Army also delivers food to those who can’t make it to the Elks Lodge, and drivers will take them to their residences.
Overall, Jon-Marc said there is still room for people to volunteer to help at the dinner. The most needed is after-dinner assistance with the cleanup.
Those interested in volunteering can call (208) 522-7200.