Gathering with friends and family over a hot Thanksgiving meal can create special memories.

It became even more memorable for people on both sides of tables at the Shalom Center on Thursday.

The center opened its doors to offer a hot dinner to all seeking it on Thursday night, featuring all the Thanksgiving classics — turkey with dressing, mashed and sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie.

Steve Rainey, an evening supervisor, said the facility typically serves dinner to about 100 people a night and Thursday’s crowd included many visitors from those meals.

Herb Mason, who remembers first attending Shalom Center events in 1980, said the meals offered at the facility were “a way of life” for him.

The typical evening staff at the Shalom Center was supplied with plenty of help from Jean Weisner and 10 of her family members. They has been assisting with the Shalom Center’s Thanksgiving meal for the last six years.

They gathered at Jean’s son’s house for their meal and were heading back there later on Thursday for dessert. The middle course was serving all manners of food to people at the Shalom Center.

Weisner, of Kenosha, said there was a very simple motivation to wanting to help.

“What if one of my family members didn’t have a place to go?” Weisner said. “I would want them to have a place to go.”

Mark Villwock, Jean’s son-in-law from Union Grove, said he was happy to help with the service on Thursday.

“I want to be here for them to show them some love and respect and do something for them,” Villwock said.

In a way, Weisner said the people coming to the Shalom Center are known to her and her family.

“If you keep your eyes open, these are the people you see everywhere in your everyday life,” Weisner said.

Justin Jabs, a 17-year-old from Kenosha was assisting in a different way on Thursday. Jabs was handing out backpacks full of personal hygiene items to those visiting the Shalom Center for an Eagle Scout service project.

Jabs gathered materials for 110 backpacks over several months and planned on distributing them at nightly shelters and food missions throughout the area.

“It feels good doing good things for people,” Jabs said.

There was plenty of appreciation from those being served.

“These people are great,” one man exclaimed after saying Thursday’s dinner service was the first meal he had all day.

The thanks was also evident for Weisner on Thursday.

“I’m blessed,” she said as she poured coffee for a Shalom Center guest and watched multiple generations of her family serve food for those in need.

Free Thanksgiving meals were also served at the First United Methodist Church, Savannah’s Cabin Cafe and New Life Bible Church.