PORT ANGELES — Serenity House is expanding its traditional free feast at its shelter on 18th Street in light of the lack of this year’s Queen of Angeles community dinner.
The Queen of Angels feast, a tradition for 11 years, will not occur this year because organizers were unable to find a coordinator.
So Serenity House, which had planned a small public meal at it shelter at 2321 W. 18th St., will welcome all members of the public who want to come out for the meal, scheduled from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.
“We’re doing everything we can to pick up the load,” said Doc Robinson, executive director of Serenity House, which provides housing for the homeless.
“With Queen of Angels shutting, we figure a lot of people will want a place to come and to be,” he added Tuesday. “People should have a place to go.”
Robinson said he thinks Serenity House has sufficient volunteers to pull it off — although more are always welcome. Peninsula Behavioral Health staff will help out with cooking and other preparations, he said.
But “we’ve never done this before at this volume,” he added.
“Send turkeys. Early. Cooked are better,” Robinson said.
Those who want to drop off food at the shelter — turkeys or “any other dishes people want to make” — can do so after 1 p.m. Thursday.
Robinson asked only that those good enough to prepare food include an ingredients list for those who have allergies.
He and a volunteer will make van runs in town for those who need a ride to and from the meal.
The capacity of the building is 180, but Robinson said Serenity House will operate in shifts.
All of it will come together, he said.
“We will make it work.”
For more information, contact shelter director Jen Mobley at 360-808-8931, or call the main shelter number at 360-452-7221, ext. 2, and leave a message. The phone will be manned Thursday.
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.
