Chicagoans open hearts, doors for Thanksgiving meals: ‘It’s like a family’

Catholic Charities of Chicago began setting tables and decorating Wednesday for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Fifty volunteers served about 400 people in the River North location. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times)

As Chicagoans gathered with loved ones to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, several organizations provided meals and a homey environment to those who needed them.

One of the earliest to start was Catholic Charities of Chicago in River North. Volunteers arrived at 8:30 a.m. to start preparing to serve “traditional Thanksgiving meals.”