Coming together

Warren Family Mission hosts annual Thanksgiving dinner

WARREN -- The Warren Family Mission hosted its 25th annual free Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday.

Mission Director of Public Relations Dominic Mararri said they prepared more than 250 turkeys, 100 gallons of corn, 75 pounds of stuffing, 100 pounds of potatoes, 2,500 rolls and more than 4,000 cookies. He said food preparation took more than 45 hours.

Mararri said the mission served 2,253 meals, 1,539 of which were deliveries, 513 takeouts and 201 dine-ins.

Mission Executive Director Caitlin White said all the food came from donors.

"We have businesses that have given and also churches and other organizations," she said. "We couldn't do it without the help of our donors."

Mararri said the goal of the event was for people to come together.

He also said this event makes him feel grateful because he's been in the shoes of someone who's struggled.

"You know, when I think back upon 2012, being homeless, being addicted to heroin, addicted to crack and on my way to prison, and I look at where I am today, 11 years later (and) clean," he said. "It just reminds me to be thankful for the life I'm living today but also that it's the small things in life that can spoil someone's life."

He said he received help from the mission when he was struggling, which inspired him to want to work for them.

"It (helping) just really resonates with me because I was once there," he said. "The Mission supported me and helped provide transportation to me for a program I was in (to get clean) and so I'm forever grateful for the Warren Family Mission (and) for the difference they made in my life."

White said she is glad to help those who are struggling.

"I know a lot of people right now, with inflation prices, they're not able to afford a holiday dinner," she said. "So it's nice to just be able to have them come in and sit down and have a meal right now (when) people are struggling to afford things. We do (meal deliveries) also because of gas prices."

Mario Pehanich volunteered at the event to help the community. He is a Penn State University student from Howland who is going to school for finance.

He said it's his first time volunteering at the event.

"It (volunteering) has made me a better person overall," he said. "It's made me realize what's going on in the community and how I can help."

Michael Amos of Warren said he was there for the meal.

"It's been a rough year," he said. "Certain accommodations are hard to come by, especially food."