One thing was clear for the Stantons this Thanksgiving.

On their own, a feast was not possible.

"We've lost a lot of our income, about $1,000 a month, when my unemployment went down," explained Rhonda Stanton on Thursday, standing beside her husband, Clay, and 13-year-old daughter, Ronelle. "Food is like an option in our house."

So that overcast morning, when others were settling down to homemade meals, they headed to Fedora Pub and Grille. After waiting in their van for things to get started, they stood in line with a number, then were seated and served heaping plates of the usual holiday fixings, free of charge.

The community meal, Rhonda said, allowed them to still have a celebration. To still gather together and be grateful.

And they were.

"We're just making a good thing out of it," she said with a smile.

The line was out the door late that morning for the free Thanksgiving dinner put on by Fedora, in conjunction with the Kroc Center, United Way and Prairie Avenue Christian Center.

Some who attended were lonely and wanted other warm bodies around on the holiday. Some couldn't afford a lavish meal, or simply lacked the energy to prepare one.

"Injuries," Judy Hitchcock said, holding out her casted arm, when asked why she ventured in with her family.

Bustling over an oven with one arm was a long shot, she said, so this year she was letting someone else do all the work.

"This comes at just the right time," she said.

The real value, the family agreed, was having the chance for Judy to sit down and chat with three of her kids, Christopher Towles, 23, Mayre, 10, and 18-year-old Myrisha.

"For us, Thanksgiving is a very special day we can all get together and enjoy being a family," Christopher said.

"And sometimes we watch movies," Mayre added.

Robert Townsend just hadn't wanted to be alone that day, he said.

After moving to Coeur d'Alene from California a month ago, he said, he didn't have family nearby.

"I'm trying to meet new people," he said. "This seemed like a good way."

Fedora co-owner Mallory Mattern, scrambling between directing volunteers and helping seat families, said she wanted the event to help folks at any level of need.

"There's a need. We're filling it," Mattern said. "And it's not just Fedora. The other groups were a huge part of this. Huge."

She expected to serve 800 inside, she added, as well as provide 100 to-go boxes and deliver 100 more to shut-ins. Groceries were also available in a tent outside for 450 families.

"Our volunteer list was filled three weeks ago," Mattern added. "That's 128 volunteers. Plus extra who just showed up to help."

Chris Valiquette, greeting folks as they stepped inside, said her husband and three grown children were also volunteering for several hours.

"My family is better off right now. We have a roof over our head," she said. "This is something we wanted to do."

Volunteers were just as slammed across town at the Lake City Center, hosting the 13th annual community dinner put on by Mike and Vickie Hillicoss.

Cars outside had packed the parking lot and were lining the street. Inside, extra tables were brought out to accommodate the hundreds who turned out for a candlelit meal served by gracious volunteers.

"This is just our opportunity to give back," Vickie said, adding that they expected to serve 600 meals, not including the Meals on Wheels portions.

Mike added that they had to turn volunteers away, once they garnered more than 100.

"This is all about the community coming together," he said. "When we had to turn people away, I said to them, 'Go find somebody who can benefit from this meal, and come and join us.'"

"And I think they did," Vickie said, glancing at the packed cafeteria.

Greg Lapin said it has become a tradition for him and his father, Peter, to meet new people and enjoy hearty fare at the community feast.

"It's a little less time consuming. We don't have to do a lot of preparing," Greg said.

"And we don't have people to prepare for," Peter added. "It's just him and me."

Bernie Currie said she brought her family to the dinner on a whim.

"This is the first time in my life that I haven't been at home (for Thanksgiving)," said Bernie, mother of Lake City Center Director Rick Currie. "This year, I didn't want to go to anybody's house, I didn't want to have to cook."

She was overwhelmed by the event, she added, not having known there would musical entertainment and a bevy of food provided by donations.

"It's so wonderful," Bernie said as a volunteer laid a to-go box by her plate. "If I hadn't been here, I wouldn't have believed it. Especially taking all the wonderful people donating their time."