Annual free Thanksgiving at Chronis’ more than a meal

Chuck Chronis winds his way through the tables inside Chronis’ Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Vancouver and checks to see whether his guests at the restaurant’s annual free Thanksgiving feed are satisfied.

“How is it, girls?” he asked two women at a table.

Realizing he was the organizer of the event, one of the women started crying.

“It looks like you need a hug,” Chronis said before embracing her.

“You are to be commended,” the woman said.

“This is all about you,” Chronis said. “I hope you have a brighter day.”

The woman, Jan, who declined to give her last name, used to spend Thanksgiving with her husband, but he died last year at age 78.

“I have known about this event for years,” she said. “This is the first time I came. I was alone, and I just decided, hey, I’d like to come. It sounded wonderful, but I never expected such a wonderful meal.”

While the event serves up hot meals at no charge, it also fills an emotional need for some guests, who just need to see a familiar face and a gesture of kindness to get through the holiday.

Irene Yakushiji of Vancouver said she lost her mother, husband and mother-in-law in the past year. She, her father, Thomas Yakushiji, and her sister, Florence Arney, thought spending Thanksgiving at Chronis’ might help lift their spirits and help them make new “family” with members of their community.

“It’s nice to see familiar faces, even if you don’t know them very well,” Irene Yakushiji said.

“There is a lot of compassion here and willingness to help the homeless and the lonely.”

Since about 1983, Chronis and his buddy state Court of Appeals Justice Rich Melnick have organized a free Thanksgiving feast for anyone who wants it. Members of the community donate money, food and other items to make it possible each year.

Chronis drove the streets issuing personal invitations to the event and socialized with visitors inside the restaurant, while Melnick dished up the food from behind a counter. This year, the meal included turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetarian stuffing by Melnick, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, rolls and different types of pie. About a dozen regular volunteers operate the feast, preparing food and serving up plates to tables. Others, like musician Daniel “Drop-D” Trent, added to the festive atmosphere. Trent played live music; another man dressed up as Santa Claus. Chronis’ wife, Sandy, passed out hats, warm socks and gloves.

Andrew Clement of Vancouver entered Chronis’ on Thursday in his wheelchair and shouted: “I love the smell of Thanksgiving.”

He said commercialism often overwhelms the holidays, but at Chronis’, he felt the spirit of Thanksgiving.

“Here, it’s real, and it makes me feel good, and it makes me want to be part of society.”