The cooking kettles used by the Salvation Army when disaster strikes will come in handy next week as the charity takes over for the Grub-Stake in feeding hundreds of people on Thanksgiving Day.

The north valley restaurant had hosted the Thanksgiving Day feed for more than 20 years.

But the Grub-Stake recently changed owners, leaving the holiday feast without a home.

"We kept thinking about it and decided we can't not do this," said Monte Jones, director of the local Salvation Army. "The good Lord has blessed us with a facility to hold this at and the people who can do it. How do you say no to that?"

Saying yes to feeding as many as 800 people on Thanksgiving Day may have been the easy part. Jones expects to spend around $1,100 for an estimated 700 pounds of turkey breasts and must work out the logistics involved in hosting a crowd of that size.

There's the rest of the meal, too: the stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans.

"We called down to Van's and asked what it would cost to do turkeys and what kind of deal they could give us," said Jones. "They came along and sold us at a huge discount. They're donating $500 to the cost of it."

Paula Vander Jagt, owner of Van's Thriftway, said it was easy to offer her store's assistance. Van's will bake the pies, sell the goods, and toss in a few extras to make the holiday feast an enjoyable one.

"There are so many people in Helena that wouldn't have a place to go," Vander Jagt said. "We didn't plan for it, obviously, but our wholesaler is right here in town. It's very easy for us to get extra stock."

Getting the food is one thing. Finding someone to prepare it may be another.

In stepped Carolyn Mercer and Harvey Smith, two area cooks who have volunteered to stand in as head chefs for the day, preparing the turkey, potatoes and stuffing.

"I really just felt led by the Lord, that this is what he wanted us to do," said Mercer, who ran a Golden Corral back in Florida. "On Thanksgiving Day back home, it was nothing for us to feed 5,000 people, so I'm kind of used to it."

The Salvation Army is taking over the Helena tradition, held for years by Don and Sharon Ferriter, the former owners of the Grub-Stake.

The couple provided Thanksgiving dinner to anyone who wanted or needed one. By opening their doors when most other businesses closed, they also provided a place for those looking to celebrate.

But Don passed away last year. The restaurant was sold, and the community feast was nearly lost. That is, until the Salvation Army stepped in.

"They came up with this whole plan on such short notice," Vander Jagt said. "I knew that I needed to help them out with this big undertaking."

This year's Thanksgiving Day meal takes place from 3-6 p.m. at the Salvation Army's gymnasium, on the corner of Henderson and Hudson streets.

Because it's the organization's first go at the holiday feast, Jones asked that anyone wanting to attend try to call ahead, allowing organizers to plan accordingly.

As in years past, the meal is free and open to the public. Unlike past years, however, attendees must find their own transportation to the feast.

Reporter Martin Kidston:

447-4086 or

mkidston@helenair.com