Gabriel Guy said she used to visit Abraham’s Tent every day for nearly 10 years, but those trips became less frequent after she moved to another part of town. But when the holiday season rolls around, she said she doesn’t hesitate to stop by and visit with friends.

“It’s like coming home,” said Guy, one of hundreds who received a free Thanksgiving meal Thursday at the new facility.

The facility, which opened last week, has a larger kitchen that makes it much easier for volunteers to prepare meals and serve them quickly.

“The new building is excellent,” said Robert “Creepa” Colston Jr. as he prepared a plate of turkey, ham, rice dressing, corn bread dressing and potato salad. “There’s air conditioning. Because of the other building, we were some real troupers cause of the conditions.”

Willie Carraway, a former Dallas resident, said he is thankful “to see other people so compassionate for others that are less fortunate.”

Jeffrey Conerly said he and his wife, Jennifer, came to Abraham’s Tent for the first time this year. The two recently moved to Lake Charles from Morgan City.

“We were going down the road and heard some people talking about Abraham’s Tent serving Thanksgiving dinner,” he said.

Conerly said the experience “gives you some hope,” and that he is thankful for his family and his faith.

“It’s really made a big difference in our lives,” he said.

For seven years, Colston said he has prepared and served meals at Abraham’s Tent. He said he came to the facility straight from hosting a morning show on KZWA-FM.

“It’s just my way of giving back,” Colston said. “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the looks on their faces when you present them with a warm meal because that’s what Thanksgiving is all about.”

Meanwhile, between 350 and 400 Thanksgiving meals were served at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on Opelousas Street.

Herman Guidry, a member of the Fourth Degree Knights of Peter Claver, helped organize the event. He said this is the 17th year the meals have been served.

“It’s a good feeling because every time someone comes in here, they say thank you for this,” Guidry said.

Before 10 a.m., he said there were 574 lunches sent to residents in Southwest Louisiana’s surrounding areas, including Jennings, DeRidder and Leesville.(Rick Hickman/American Press)

Rick Hickman