Local businesses make sure no one goes without a Thanksgiving meal
By Ben Cox
Photos/Special to The Source
On Thanksgiving morning in Jacksonville, the warmth inside The Patio on West College Avenue had little to do with ovens running or pots simmering.
Instead, it came from something far more powerful: a community moving with one purpose — to make sure everyone got a place at the table.
“Operation Everyone Eats,” held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, began not as a large-scale effort but as a small spark in the mind of Jacksonville landscaper Chris Branch, owner of CB’s Landscaping.
Weeks earlier, while recovering from a debilitating back injury that kept him off the job, Branch scrolled through social media and noticed post after post from families worried about how they would feed themselves due to the ongoing federal shutdown and suspension of SNAP benefits.
What started as a simple idea quickly transformed into a full-blown mission.
Branch initially thought he’d shoulder the event on his own, but conversations with others soon redirected to the event and many lent direct support. Local businesses, volunteers and families began reaching out, asking how to help, how to contribute and how to ensure that no one in Jacksonville went without a hot Thanksgiving meal.
Before long, CB’s Landscaping, Elevated Ideas, The Patio, My Buddy’s BBQ & Catering, Leo’s Pizza and other local partners had joined forces. Donations piled in—turkeys, hams, sides, desserts, funds, cooking supplies—and an army of volunteers were ready to chop, cook, pack and serve.
Families in need were invited to register and pick up meals at no cost. Organizers expected to feed between 150 and 200 households—a goal they surpassed with ease. More than 250 full Thanksgiving meals were prepared and distributed before the final containers left The Patio.
For Buddy Fore of My Buddy’s BBQ & Catering, the effort became something deeper than a charity event. In a Facebook post reflecting on the day, he wrote that Operation Everyone Eats “wasn’t just an idea… it was a moment in time where an entire community stepped up, linked arms, and said ‘nobody goes without today.’”
Fore highlighted the donors who gave directly—including Rick and Chris Rolson, First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Rachel Rohn of Fitness World Health Club, Jeff Newman, MJ Kellner and Rexx Hill—as well as countless customers and neighbors who contributed in small but meaningful ways.
“There wasn’t a single moment today where someone stood around wondering what to do,” Fore said. “Everybody found a way to help. Everybody found a purpose. And everybody gave a little piece of themselves to make sure a stranger had a meal to be grateful for.”
Children helped pack meals with the same energy as the adults. Volunteers who had never met before worked together like longtime coworkers. People held doors, carried boxes, shared stories and—for a few hours—made the world feel a little less complicated and a lot more hopeful.
“That’s the kind of love you don’t see every day,” Fore wrote. “That’s the kind of community you never forget.”
Fellow organizer Ryan Mason of Elevated Ideas echoed the sentiment, calling the effort a testament to the generosity Jacksonville is known for.
“Jacksonville showed up in a powerful way this Thanksgiving,” Mason said. “A slew of small businesses and individuals donated their time, money, and effort to serve more than two hundred fifty hot Thanksgiving meals… This morning is about kindness, generosity, and making sure no family goes without a warm plate and a reminder that our community cares.”
What began with one man recovering from an injury and worrying about others ended with a network of businesses, volunteers, donors and families woven together by compassion. Branch’s initial goal—to make a small change—turned into a community-driven movement that restored hope for hundreds.
