Fawn Albert from Schnecksville thought Thanksgiving should be about more than just eating.

So last year on the holiday, she rounded up her husband and two children and showed up to volunteer at the soup kitchen in St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Allentown, which serves free meals to the needy and homeless.

She recalls saying to her family, "Let's truly give thanks in a better way."

Back again this Thanksgiving, the Albert family kept busy waiting on tables and delivering turkey dinners to the hundreds of guests who showed up.

Daughter Ashleigh, 15, was a friendly, smiling presence as she carried plates of food to hungry guests and chatted with them as she worked.

"This is a reality check for me," Ashleigh said. "I go to a school (Parkland High School) that has a lot.

"Here I see people who aren't as fortunate. A lot of people in Parkland don't realize how lucky they are."

For Heather Arnold and her son Ian, 11, of Upper Macungie Township, "This is a family tradition," she said.

Arnold's entire family, her parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins, have been spending their Thanksgivings volunteering in St. Paul's soup kitchen for 15 to 20 years, she noted.

"We like to give back to the community," Arnold said.

Ian agreed with his mother.

"I get to hang out with my family, and it's fun to help out," he declared.

Soup kitchen guests enjoyed the bountiful Thanksgiving feast and the interaction with volunteers.

Tommie Maynard of Allentown, who described himself as "a regular at St. Paul's soup kitchen," expressed thanks several times, adding, "The food here is really good."

Maynard appreciated having a place to go on the holiday.

"It's good they do this for people. Some of these people don't even have a home," he said.