The Giving Heart marked its 20th annual Thanksgiving Day Feast last Thursday at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, drawing more than 1,000 people to the exhibit hall for a day centered on meals and community connection.

Executive Director Sandra Antoine said volunteers prepared enough food to serve about 4,000 people through the in-person feast and meal deliveries to low-income neighborhoods and residents unable to attend. Volunteers included Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger.

This year’s event also marked a return to a full dine-in format after several years of adjustments prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Antoine said guests and table hosts shared stories that reflected how much the in-person gathering had been missed.

“It was an opportunity to just share and just fellowship,” she said. “Something that’s been needed for some time, and many had been missing that opportunity.”