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When the Rev. Joe Giaritelli asked his congregation to help feed 5,000 people at Thanksgiving, children gave up allowances and parents decided to cut back on their Christmas budgets to help out.

The first week in November, Lawndale Baptist Church raised more than $10,000 to buy 1,000 hams — the centerpiece of food boxes to be given away to help financially stressed families on a first-come, first-served basis.

Unlike the weekly giveaways at the church’s food bank, proof of need isn’t required for those who show up for the giveaway Nov. 24. And they won’t be screened to make sure they haven’t received help from somewhere else.

“You don’t have to be unemployed to get this. If you are employed and have need, still come,” said Giaritelli, whose own members have experienced similar the pain of the sour economy. “They’ll have to answer to God, if they’re abusing people’s generosity.”

Across the Triad, houses of worship and nonprofit organizations are responding to the expected need at Thanksgiving by providing a sit-down holiday meal or the fixings to make a meal.

The available opportunities — including special services to enjoy the sounds of the season — are numerous.

God’s Helping Hands ministry at Groometown United Methodist Church will serve a turkey meal with all the fixings on Nov. 24 for the homeless and the elderly, who have told director Joan Hipp of having to choose between buying food and buying medicine. Hipp also expects to see those people classified as “the new hungry,” who represent a huge diversity of ages and income.

“We have newcomers every week,” Hipp said. “It’s all they can do to get by from week to week. Some of them have lost their jobs and in the course of losing their jobs have lost their homes and are living out of their cars.”

The meals are largely funded by the donations of ministry supporters who want to share what they have — especially on a day created for people to give thanks, Hipp said.

At Friendly Hills Church, the focus is in providing an early Thanksgiving dinner for area foster parents and their families. Members donate and cook the food and serve as table hosts. The leftover food is packed into containers and sent home with each family. The church only asks that people call to confirm they will attend.

Other churches, such as Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, team up with organizations to help families in need. The project, “Thanksgiving’s in the Bag,” is providing 376 meals this year for clients of the Servant Center — more than they’ve ever done.

Organizers print a shopping list for all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner for either a large family, with five or more members, or a small family, with four or fewer members, according to Amelia Poole, Holy Trinity’s outreach coordinator.

Parishioners pick up a paper bag with the list in the weeks before Thanksgiving and bring them back filled for the Servant Center to distribute.

“Folks love doing the shopping with their families,” Poole said. “It gives their kids a perspective on the expense for those who have trouble making ends meet, and it’s a tangible expression of our desire to help.”

New Jerusalem Cathedral is teaming up with the Servant Center, but also is providing free turkeys to the community. The gesture is a good reminder of what a simple gesture means to someone living without, said Tonya Little, director of the Visions of Life food pantry at the church.

“One lady didn’t think she would have anything to cook — she just about made us all cry,” Little said.

At the Lawndale Baptist event, the food boxes will be distributed — one box per family — to the first 1,000 families.

The process is expected to take about one hour and 45 minutes for parking, instructions, a brief Thanksgiving message in the sanctuary, and then the food distribution row by row.

No one will be allowed to start a line or enter the parking lot before 12:30 p.m. Giaritelli asks that only one representative per family get in line and that people share transportation if possible.

Giaritelli is hoping that those who show up are patient and understand that this is a first-time effort.

“I’m glad they’re wanting to come together to do something bigger than ourselves,” Giaritelli said of his congregation. “If we’re going to fail, we’re just going to fail at something for God.”

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com