Thousands enjoy meal, get basic care at Redwood Gospel Mission’s annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet in Santa Rosa

Teresa Hobbs patiently waited Wednesday morning to get a haircut inside Grace Pavilion at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

“It’s wonderful, I’m getting one of those ‘70s haircuts,” said Hobbs, 65, with a smirk. “It’s been years since I’ve gotten one.”

The haircut brought Hobbs joy, but also relief. She’s been homeless off and on in Santa Rosa for the last seven years, she said.

While Hobbs got a haircut, other people were getting flu shots, having their feet washed or being screened by medical staff. Kids played games and families packed up food to make their own Thanksgiving meals at home. Thousands enjoyed a warm holiday meal, picked out a comfortable coat and spent time in the company of others.

It was all part of Redwood Gospel Mission’s annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet, which has provided meals and other basic services to those in need for over 20 years.

About 4,000 people were expected from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the banquet. Roughly 800 families enrolled ahead of time to participate.

Nicole Dickson, 31, and her partner, Ivan Anderson, 47, were among others enjoying a meal at the fairgrounds’ dining hall but were concerned where they would end up for Thanksgiving. The two are currently homeless and looking for a hotel to spend the night.

“We just need to get caught up on sleep; we want to feel safe,” said Anderson, who’s been homeless at times for nearly a decade. “Since we’re transgender, we have to look out for each other every night.

“It’s been hard to find a support system.”

People in the community donated hundreds of turkeys to help feed the masses while volunteers assisted with the event.

“Every year I’m incredibly blessed to see the amount of people that come together to help — the volunteers, support, donations of turkeys and food boxes,” said Jeff Gilman, executive director of Redwood Gospel Mission in Santa Rosa. “Community is important.”

Tom Riley, 71, one of the banquet’s 600 volunteers, stood outside the fairgrounds Wednesday morning and offered warm greetings to those who entered.

“The holidays are hard for a lot of people,” said Riley, of Santa Rosa. “I can’t think of anything better to do than to be of service during this season.”

Carol Schultz, 67, rested inside the dining area at the fairgrounds after she finished a full plate of Thanksgiving staples. She’s been homeless off and on since 2003 and recently ended an abusive relationship.

She now lives in an apartment in Cotati with her daughter, she said.

“I’ve had it all, lost it all, been through it all and now I’m back,” Schultz said with a smile. “I feel good.”

You can reach Staff Writer Mya Constantino at mya.constantino@pressdemocrat.com. @searchingformya on Twitter.