Thousands of people -- needy families, single mothers with children, the recently unemployed -- converged on free Thanksgiving Day meals throughout Southern California on Thursday to feast and forget their troubles, at least while the food lasted.
The lucky ones arrived early at charitable holiday banquets, where volunteers began ladling gravy and slicing pies before lunchtime. About 2,500 lined up at downtown L.A.'s Fred Jordan Mission for a 10 a.m. sit-down meal and a gift bag filled with groceries, soap, shampoo and toothpaste.
Gospel music blared from speakers along East 5th Street as servers shuffled between rows of folding tables decorated with blue and green balloons.
But the festive mood fizzled when the food ran out before 2 p.m. About 500 people were turned away hungry and told to come back Friday, said mission spokeswoman Suzanna Choi.
"We serve food every day, but we really need food donations and donations so that we can buy food," she said of the mounting demands on the charity. "We've got record numbers of people on the streets due to foreclosures and the economic crisis."
Peter Jordan, whose family has run the event for years, said they had prepared to feed 2,000 -- as much as they could afford because the mission's usual supporters have trimmed donations in the economic downturn.
The pressure confronting the mission Thursday reflected the stress of many charities throughout the country -- they're struggling with dwindling donations and high demand for food, clothing and other necessities.
Ingrid Amaya, 31, who went to the Jordan mission with her five children, the youngest just a year old, was among those who arrived early enough to partake in the feast. The South Los Angeles resident makes her living cleaning houses but lost several jobs recently because employers had to trim expenses.
Amaya said she felt bad that she couldn't buy her own turkey and fixings this holiday, but was pleased her children got a nourishing meal.
"It's good. They give you a lot," she said, taking a bite of a drumstick.
As is the tradition at many charitable dinners, celebrities and community leaders helped dish up the meals. Clippers center Marcus Camby joined Volunteers of America of Greater Los Angeles at the group's Wall Street center to serve dinner to 200.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa danced as he passed trays among the tables outside the Jordan mission, and City Councilman Richard Alarcon helped serve hungry families at the San Fernando Elks Lodge.
