Midnight Mission makes Thanksgiving meal from scratch to celebrate 100 years

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Midnight Mission served a huge Thanksgiving meal to thousands of needy people in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, and all the food was made from scratch.

At 10 a.m., the feast began for thousands of people in the 600 block of San Pedro Street.

"I can say today 'Hallelujah,' may the Midnight Mission keep on because there are men and women who need to be fed," said Olivia Clark of Los Angeles.

"We expect that we'll feed about 2,500 people. We've been doing this outdoor event for 16 years, but we've been serving our homeless community for 100 years this year," said Georgia Berkovich, Midnight Mission director of public affairs.

"One of the most important things we provide to our homeless community is a sense of family," said Berkovich.

The Thanksgiving meal this year is extra special because the Midnight Mission is celebrating 100 years of service.

"Everything is made from scratch. Before, we would take cranberries from the can for the sake of making it a little bit easier, but this year, we've been preparing for almost a week now," said chef Rob Rice.

Actors Dick Van Dyke and Ed Begley Jr. were among the hundreds of volunteers serving the Thanksgiving meal.

"I've gotten to know so many of the people here, it just makes my holidays," said Van Dyke. "It's not just the meals -- there's hope here."

Besides a meal, attendees also received a bag full of donated clothing.