DAYTON — Preparations are underway in downtown Dayton for the annual Feast of Giving, where organizers are preparing 5,000 meals for community members, News Center 7 reported.
The effort represents an expansion from last year, when 3,500 meals were served at the Dayton Convention Center.
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The community event is free and open to everyone, with no tickets required. Beyond providing warm meals, organizers are preparing to hand out pet food and winter gear. Organizer Steve Paris noted that high prices and inflation have driven up local demand for these basic items.
Paris, an organizer for the Feast of Giving, explained that the response to last year’s return confirmed community demand for the gathering remains high.
“Last year when we brought it back, we weren’t sure what the response was going to be. We didn’t know if there was still a need for the event because other organizations had stepped in. I think it demonstrated conclusively that yeah, there’s a need,” Paris said.
To accommodate attendees, organizers are using four spaces inside the Dayton Convention Center. A team of approximately 300 volunteers is working to prepare the facility and handle meal preparation, which includes 5,000 pounds of turkey. That’s a lot of turkey,” Paris said.
Paris emphasized that the gathering welcomes all residents: “It’s free. No tickets needed. It’s open to everyone in the community. And really, it’s more than just a meal.”
The gathering will also feature live entertainment and activities for families. “We’ll have live music. Our band has done this for, since I think 2011, 2012, really creates some atmosphere.
Santa Claus will be here. We’ll Have Princesses and Superheroes. Last year we had people up on the dance floor, believe it or not,” Paris said.
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