Building Community, Giving Thanks

“When you show people love, you can’t help but get it back in return,” says Kim Stewart, owner of Stewart’s diner in New Orleans, La. For the last five years, Stewart’s Diner has hosted a free Thanksgiving dinner for its community, with a little help from a California family. The tradition started when the McCain family traveled from San Diego to New Orleans with a team from their church. The plan was to volunteer alongside EFCA TouchGlobal in rebuilding houses in the devastated 9th Ward. When the team stopped to eat lunch on the first day, the only place open was Stewart’s Diner. That was the start of an enduring friendship between the Stewarts and the McCains.

Each year, the McCains raise funds from friends and family in San Diego for the Thanksgiving meal and then travel east themselves to help serve it. This year, TouchGlobal joined the partnership, and together they fed 200-350 people. Above, Jennifer McCain serves meals and enjoys watching neighbors participating in the celebration.

photo credit: Emily Lewis