“Feeding 5000” Gives Thanksgiving to Families in Need

Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14:19–21, ESV

Food insecurity is prevalent in the Hampton Roads community; an estimated 13% and 12.4% of Norfolk and Newport News residents were considered food insecure according to the most recent Feeding America data, compiled in 2022. A No Kid Hungry survey taken in August 2024 found nearly 80% of Virginia families admitted to struggling to afford groceries. Increased inflation in recent years has worsened the affordability crisis for families already struggling with an increased cost of living. 

Andrew Shannon’s annual “Feeding 5000 Thanksgiving Harvest & Community Celebration” kicked off this November, just in time for the start of the holiday season. The event, inspired by the way Jesus used limited resources to feed an incredible 5,000 people in the Gospel of Matthew, gave countless families in need on the peninsula a Thanksgiving dinner.

Dr. Michelle Boone-Thornton, a faculty member in Regent University’s School of Psychology & Counseling (SPC) and Counseling Ministries Department, helped organize the Feeding 5000 efforts this year, sponsored in part by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC).

The big event took place starting at noon on Saturday, November 23rd, 2024, at the New Beech Grove Baptist Church in Newport News. A small army of volunteers, including Regent alums and students, VPCC students, alums, and staff, ODU students, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Newport News Alumnae Chapter members, the president of the Virginia Tech Young Alumni Association’s Tidewater Chapter, and community organizers, all lined up to pass out water, prepackaged to-go meals, and frozen turkeys to attendees until supplies ran out.

“We’ve been doing this for about 25 years. Every year, it gets a little bigger, with more organizations working together. Everyone—city officials, the chief of police, and organizers—works together to pull it off and serve the community. It’s beautiful to see. Now that I’m at Regent, there is a greater opportunity to involve the students there in these efforts as well,” Dr. Boone-Thornton stated.

Regent students and faculty also helped by donating canned and other non-perishable goods in the weeks leading up to the event. Dr. Boone-Thornton looks forward to future opportunities for Regent students to get involved in serving their community.

Marian Clifton, Presidential Fellow for VPCC, explained how the event brings the community together so families who don’t have the means for all the Thanksgiving fixings can still enjoy a meal.

“There are a lot of people struggling, so it’s important to give back to the community in this way. We give out food and water to families who are in need so that hopefully there will be fewer hungry people as a result,” she stated.

Elected officials and community, business, and church leaders also made special appearances at the event and helped with the food distribution. Currently, it remains the largest gathering for a Thanksgiving giveaway on the peninsula.

“The event was a tremendous success. Thank you to everyone who made it possible—our amazing volunteers, supporters, and partners. Your dedication continues to make a difference,” said Dr. Willard Maxwell, Jr., pastor of New Beech Grove Baptist Church.

Thanks to Dr. Boone-Thornton and others’ efforts to pull off a highly successful Feeding 5000 event, more families in Hampton Roads can enjoy a warm meal and a turkey this Thanksgiving.  

The next Feeding 5000 will take place this January, on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend.