The Los Angeles Mission was ready for the hungry masses, with 3,000 pounds of turkey and 80 gallons of gravy, and to help serve the meals - a trio of Hollywood stars, including Kim Kardashian, Zoe Saldana and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Frank Thomson, who is homeless, said the Mission's service shows that people care.
"Somebody cares, that's nice. God works all the time like that," Thomson said.
Kim Kardashian was on hand to help serve the thousands who arrived.
"These people don't have the meals that we do, so anything we can do to provide that for them, I'm very happy to do," Kardashian said.
"Part of being grateful for what you receive is also about giving and feeding the cycle of life," said Saldana.
The Los Angeles Mission said it has seen a slight increase in the number of people coming to use their services in the last few years. They were ready to serve up 3,500 meals for its 75th Thanksgiving celebration this year.
"If it's more than that, I know we're going to make sure they have a meal too," said Dave Thomson, assistant food director at the Los Angeles Mission.
After more than seven decades of service, organizers wanted to try something new, so they brought in Kogi BBQ chef Roy Choi to add some spice.
"Instead of just frozen vegetables opened up and dumped in, we took fresh green beans, cut them up, and then added a lemon herb olive oil," Choi said. "It's really about love."
On a holiday known for food, the key ingredient in making the meal so special was the people.
"We want to make it like a family gathering, you know," Dave Thomson said. "We want them to come out, have a seat and enjoy themselves."
In addition to the free food, complimentary foot exams were provided by physicians at the L.A. Christian Health Centers.
