Mr. Thanksgiving
John 6:25-59; Eph 5:4
Illustration
by Ashley Johnson

Years ago, Bob Vogelbaugh of Moline, Illinois, noticed that many of the customers at his grocery store made no special plans for Thanksgiving.  Some of them were single and had no family with which to celebrate the holidays.  Some were elderly and didn't want to travel far for the family gatherings.  Vogelbaugh invited a couple dozen of his customers to his store on Thanksgiving day, where he prepared a feast for them.  The community Thanksgiving gathering was such a hit that Vogelbaugh made it a yearly tradition.  Today they call him Mr. Thanksgiving. In 2020 he was still going strong marking his 50th year providing a free Thanksgiving banquet to more than 2,000 residents of Moline.

Guideposts, November 2004, pp. 80-81, by Ashley Johnson