Every human being on the planet is entitled to a good meal, especially on Thanksgiving day.
Unfortunately, there are over 600,000 homeless people in the U.S. alone, many of which are veterans and children. Despite this unsettling statistic, good people work hard every day to help feed and house those less fortunate than themselves.
High school sweethearts Mike and Jessica Kovac were on the verge of divorce eight years ago after struggling through 17 years of hardship, but after they turned their attention towards helping others, things starting falling into place. The couple founded Blessings Under the Bridge, a nonprofit organization that feeds about 250 homeless people in Spokane, WA every Wednesday underneath a busy freeway bridge.
"Doing this has not only brought us closer together, it's given us hope," 43-year-old Mike Kovac told People magazine of he and his wife's renewed relationship.
This Thanksgiving, the hungry and the homeless of Spokane will get a hot meal and a communal place to gather!
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At each weekly feed, Mike, Jessica, and their board members and volunteers unload trucks full of tables, chairs, supplies and food as patrons began lining up for their meal.
Children aged five and under are encouraged to help serve meals to the homeless alongside their parents.
Not only do guests receive a hot meal (a delicious and healthy one), they also receive a "Blessed Brown Bag," a brown bag meal for later which contains things like salads, fruit, veggies, yogurt and pudding.
Local stylists even come out to give patrons free haircuts! Homeless guests also receive treats like Starbucks coffee, cookies, donuts, and when available, toiletries and blankets.
Anyone is welcome to help serve fixings, including Lasagne and French bread, Chicken Fettucine and corn on the cob, and even tacos! The organization is adamant that their guests get to eat what they would eat for dinner.
"Through God’s truth, we endeavor to reach, bless, and offer unconditional love to the homeless and less fortunate by restoring hope, purpose, and dignity to the hearts and lives of those lost on the streets of our community and the communities around the world," Mike and Jessica wrote on their organization's website.
"We've learned that if there is hope for us, then there is hope for anyone, regardless of their circumstance," Mike Kovac told People magazine.
"I'd been feeling so bitter toward my husband and I was ashamed of the person I'd become," said Jessica of the time when their relationship was crumbling due to financial hardships, alcoholism, and even adultery. "So I decided to head to unfamiliar territory and do something for people who were worse off than I was."
Blessings Under the Bridge offers programs like resume building workshops, as well as a yearly summer BBQ and Christmas Brunch.
"They are so giving," Homer Hill, a 67-year-old man who had been living under a bridge for several years told People magazine of Mike and Jessica. "I think the world of them."
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