Union Gospel Mission Serves Hundreds at Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

Chattanooga, TN (WDEF)- The Union Gospel Mission held its annual Thanksgiving Dinner at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center today, bringing the community together for a hot holiday meal and a moment of support ahead of the holiday.

Hundreds gathered for a traditional Thanksgiving spread featuring turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and other holiday staples. In addition to the meal, the mission collected winter coats, blankets, and cold-weather essentials to help those in need as temperatures drop.

Executive Director John Rector said the mission intentionally hosts the dinner the day before Thanksgiving to make sure no one is overlooked.

 John Rector, Executive Director, Union Gospel Mission said “We’ve come out here every year for the last—I don’t know—12 to 15 years. We do it the day before Thanksgiving because there are 15 places downtown that’ll serve a meal tomorrow. Instead of duplicating that, we said let’s come down and provide a meal when nobody else is doing it. We serve, to the best of our ability, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner—turkey and dressing and gravy and cranberry sauce.”

Mission leaders say their goal is simple: ensure no one spends the holiday without a warm meal, community, or support.