COLORADO SPRINGS — For the past nine years, Club Q in Colorado Springs has opened its door to the public for a free Thanksgiving dinner, creating a space for those who might not have anywhere to go for the holiday.
This year in the midst of tragedy, a local church is stepping up to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive. The Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church (Pikes Peak MCC) in Colorado Springs has provided space for those in the LGBTQ community, club regulars, and anyone else needing a sense of community and a free meal this holiday.
"Because of the events that happened, we wanted them to be able to still continue to have that Friendsgiving and gather as a community. So when they asked the church to go and host it, we kind of took the ball and ran with it," said Jason Plata with Pikes Peak MCC.
Around 200 people showed up Thursday night to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving food provided by local restaurants. Joseph Shelton, the president of United Court of Pikes Peak Empire, the longest-running LGBTQ organization in Southern Colorado, said holidays can be a tough time for those in the community.
"A lot of times when people come out as being openly gay or openly queer, they don't get accepted. They don't get accepted for who they are and sometimes their family has really turned against them," he said.
The organization is also gathering donations for the families of the victims of the shooting.
"Every donation we get that's going to be donated back to the families so that way they have the funds to help with whatever needs they may have, whether that's for funeral costs, whether that's transporting bodies back to other states, whatever they might need it for," Shelton said.
The church staff said they hope the gathering can provide a starting point for the community to heal.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
