On November 19, St. Thomas students served over 405 members of Houston’s unhoused community a Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls. The students shopped for, prepared, and eventually served the food, learning food prep skills and enacting spiritual service along the way.

The preparation for the feast began the week before, when seniors shopped together for all the required ingredients. Their grocery haul included twenty turkeys that Theology teachers, and organizers of the project, Danny Hernandez (‘08) and Matthew Simon cooked. Principal Aaron Dominguez (‘96) then led the students in a turkey-carving lesson, which for many of the boys, was their first.

“Maybe one of the guys said he had carved a turkey before,” Dominguez said. “All of them listened and watched the demonstration and then jumped right in. They were safe and did the work with a lot of joy.”

Once the food was prepared and packaged, students and Campus Ministry faculty Allan DeLeon, Chris Wardwell (’84), and Andrew Quittenton set up at Loaves & Fishes’ downtown Houston location to serve its unhoused constituents.

“While waiting for lunch to begin, several students welcomed the opportunity to meet many of the visitors, learn their story, and pray with them,” DeLeon said. “Once lunch began, students served several hundred plates with great cheer and care.”

By the end of the day, the students had made an impressive impact in the community. Reflecting on the experience at Loaves and Fishes, DeLeon believes the students grew in their faith throughout the project and hopes that their spirituality builds on this cornerstone moving forward.

“The impact of a project like this serves as a vivid reminder of what the Lord Jesus calls us to in chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew,” DeLeon said. “We have the great responsibility and gift to encounter Christ in those who are hungry, thirsty, and without shelter. My hope is that our boys see this Gospel passage afresh and by serving those who lack resources materially, we see how Christ comes to serve each of us in our spiritual poverty.”