Thanksgiving feast feeds Bull City

DURHAM (WTVD) -- As the smell of turkey wisps through the chilly Thanksgiving day air, it's estimated that 1,000 people from around the Bull City will dine with the Durham Rescue Mission Thursday.

Volunteers started cooking around 75 turkeys at the Center for Hope around 10 a.m. Wednesday to prepare for the Thanksgiving feast.

"Its important to give back to others," Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews said as he pulled meat from a turkey carcass.

"Not everybody gets to have a Thanksgiving with family and friends ... there are people who just need to have a second family to embrace them today and show them some love," Sheriff Andrews' wife Pam, a retired school teacher, said.

Those searching for a hand up Thanksgiving Day won't only leave with a belly full of turkey, but with clothes.

"There's tons of folks in our community that have nothing," said Ernie Mills Jr. with the Rescue Mission, "To hang tens of thousands of articles of clothing out here and say 'if you need it, come get it' that's a big deal."

The Durham Rescue Mission is always in need of donations, for more information click here.