By: Kelly C. Quinlan
Feast for Southeast is a free Thanksgiving meal for anyone and everyone who would like to come share time together in community. Now in its eighth year, Feast for Southeast has served between 250 and 750 Thanksgiving day meals per year.
The following glimpse of the event is made possible by Kelly C. Quinlan, a guest contributor. Kelly is a writer and community volunteer who works to build stronger communities through the inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities. 
It was interesting to see many humble people in one place, wanting to be thankful for friends and family. Everything was definitely organized! When you come into the front of the Mount Scott Community Center, there was a welcome table that held coffee and creamers and red meal tickets. I followed the crowd to the main room to see a commotion of activity. A line off to the side serving the Thanksgiving meal was in full swing. Live music was provided and volunteers came to each table offering cookies, apple pie, and pumpkin pie.
In the midst of all this, I meant Kendall Palmer. She is the volunteer director of Feast for Southeast and has been doing this for 8 years. It was interesting to hear her story about how she put the whole thing together, and how many people are eager to volunteer and how many people come in to give thanks and eat good food.
From left to right: Molly (SE Uplift Executive Director), Yamilie and Gary (Volunteers), Kendall (Feast for Southeast director), Mike (Kendall’s husband & volunteer)
Front: Kelly
Feast for Southeast is made possible in part by SE Uplift, which serves as its fiscal sponsor. An application for its own 501(c)3 status is underway.