At the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving meal in downtown Phoenix, guests lined up not just for turkey and stuffing, but for haircuts, manicures, clothes and a few hours of community and connection.
Inside the Phoenix Convention Center, live music filled the hall as people lined up for hot plates of turkey and stuffing, guided by a sea of volunteers in red Salvation Army aprons.
Children darted between cornhole boards and Jenga stacks. Adults settled into chairs, some with their pets curled at their feet, taking a rare moment to relax and enjoy a holiday meal they might not have been able to afford otherwise. Some gathered around a projector screen playing football, because Thanksgiving wouldn’t feel complete without it.
Organizers expected to serve about 1,200 meals on site and deliver another 2,200 to homebound residents across the Valley, a reminder of how many people struggle to afford a holiday dinner.
For Dale Barnes, who lives on Social Security, the cost of rent and groceries makes a home-cooked Thanksgiving unrealistic.
“It’s almost $100 to go to Fry’s to make a Thanksgiving meal,” he said. “It’s just so expensive.”
The care offered on Thursday stretched well beyond food.
Jay Hudson, from East Valley Styles Barbershop and nonprofit Reach One, gave free haircuts to men and boys. He has partnered with the Salvation Army for seven years and plans his holidays around it.
He remembered last Thanksgiving when he helped an unhoused man who hadn’t had a haircut in five years.
Lynn Arias serves coffee for those coming off the street during the Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day event at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix on Nov. 27, 2025.
“You never know what people go through to get to where they are,” Hudson said. “People thank me, but it’s a blessing on my side to hear their stories.”
Nearby, volunteers gave manicures and chatted with guests. For 64-year-old Sharon Perryman, who recently secured housing after years in shelters, that small luxury means everything.
“I’ve always done my nails, ever since I was 15 years old,” she said. “If I don’t, I don’t feel like myself.”
After attending for the last several years as a guest, she hopes to return next Thanksgiving as a volunteer.
Salvation Army captain Jennifer Bearchell said the need this year was especially sharp, especially after the earlier SNAP benefits pause that left many households unsure how they would buy groceries.
“The instability of people’s provisions is real,” she said. “We knew we needed to take a stand this year more than ever. We’re moving forward and saying this is the time that the community needs us most, so we’re going to continue to provide things like this.”
Organizers say they’ll do it again at Christmas, when the event nearly triples in size. Volunteers are still needed at salvationarmyphoenix.org.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Salvation Army brings hot meals for Thanksgiving to Phoenix community