By Justin Criado

Central Northside’s Light of Life Rescue Mission will serve traditional Thanksgiving meals today from 1-6 p.m. during its annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet sponsored by UPMC.  In addition to meals served at the Mission, volunteers will be delivering hot meals to 14 local high-rise buildings.  More than 1,000 meals are expected to be served to neighbors in need.  The meal includes turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.  Over 100 volunteers will be, including County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, and sportscasters Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley

There will also be a tent open outside the Mission from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for those in need of a warm winter coat. Volunteers will also be serving hot chocolate and cookies outside the Mission throughout the day.

Earlier in the week, volunteers filled 462 laundry baskets with food, which were given to families in need.  Seventeen local non-profits helped connect families in need with receiving the Thanksgiving basket.

Various churches and generous donors helped Light of Life collect turkeys, instant mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, canned corn, green beans, yams, cranberry sauce, pies, rolls and butter.  Each basket is intended to feed a family, serving hundreds of meals to local families through the project.