US EditionA cafeteria worker prepares a Thanksgiving meal to feed hundreds
Shirley Mease and volunteers prepare 700 free meals to combat food insecurity worsened by SNAP benefit suspensions during the federal shutdown, up from 625 last year.
- Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, Shirley Mease used the Reeds Spring High School kitchen to prepare 700 free Thanksgiving meals, leading weeks of family and helpers’ donation-driven efforts.
- Mease stepped up because local food banks are being hit very hard, and working with the school system shows which families lack meals.
- Family and volunteers prepared for weeks, shopping Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, and peeling 240 pounds of sweet potatoes while at least 44 turkeys and 225 pounds of sweet potatoes awaited cooking.
- Organizers said the effort is up from about 625 last year, and distribution is open to everyone as `All are welcome, no questions asked.` organizers said.
- The project began small in its first year and AP photo editors documented multigenerational participation and community support this past week.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Meet a 73-year-old cafeteria worker who expects to serve 700 free Thanksgiving meals this year: 'I just feel like this is a time to step it up a little bit'
“I know (SNAP) is back in working order, but it will take time for that to really help people out,” Shirley Mease says.
A cafeteria worker prepares a Thanksgiving meal to feed hundreds
By JEFF ROBERSON REEDS SPRING, Mo. (AP) — The first year Shirley Mease cooked up a free Thanksgiving feast in the Reeds Spring High School cafeteria, icy weather kept most people away. But when her family knocked on doors to offer the meals, the gratefulness they found confirmed the need in her Missouri community. “When you work with the school system you know the families that are in need because there are a lot of babies that come to school an…
A cafeteria worker prepares a Thanksgiving meal to feed hundreds
By JEFF ROBERSON REEDS SPRING, Mo. (AP) — The first year Shirley Mease cooked up a free Thanksgiving feast in the Reeds Spring High School cafeteria, icy weather kept most people away. But when her family knocked on doors to offer the meals, the gratefulness they found confirmed the need in her Missouri community. “When you work with the school system you know the families that are in need because there are a lot of babies that come to school an…
A cafeteria worker prepares a Thanksgiving meal to feed hundreds
By JEFF ROBERSON REEDS SPRING, Mo. (AP) — The first year Shirley Mease cooked up a free Thanksgiving feast in the Reeds Spring High School cafeteria, icy weather kept most people away. But when her family knocked on doors to offer the meals, the gratefulness they found confirmed the need in her Missouri community. “When you work with the school system you know the families that are in need because there are a lot of babies that come to school an…
A cafeteria worker prepares a Thanksgiving meal to feed hundreds
By JEFF ROBERSON REEDS SPRING, Mo. (AP) — The first year Shirley Mease cooked up a free Thanksgiving feast in the Reeds Spring High School cafeteria, icy weather kept most people away. But when her family knocked on doors to offer the meals, the gratefulness they found confirmed the need in her Missouri community. “When you work with the school system you know the families that are in need because there are a lot of babies that come to school an…
A cafeteria worker prepares a Thanksgiving meal to feed hundreds
By JEFF ROBERSON REEDS SPRING, Mo. (AP) — The first year Shirley Mease cooked up a free Thanksgiving feast in the Reeds Spring High School cafeteria, icy weather kept most people away. But when her family knocked on doors to offer the meals, the gratefulness they found confirmed the need in her Missouri community. “When you work with the school system you know the families that are in need because there are a lot of babies that come to school an…
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