INDIANAPOLIS — How many people did you cook for on Thanksgiving Day?
The Mozel Sanders Foundation provided 11,000 dinners for Hoosiers on Thursday.
"I'm on three hours of sleep right now," said the foundation's Stephen Sanders.
When feeding thousands of people, that may be all the sleep Sanders needs to get the job done. When it comes to the ingredients he needs, those numbers are a lot bigger.
"We have 5,000 pounds of chicken. We're serving over 5,000 cans of green beans," Sanders added.
Eight kitchens and 2,000 volunteers made it possible, like some of the folks who came to Tabernacle Presbyterian Church to help.
"Today I'm giving back to the neighborhood, just basically helping people here," said volunteer Stacey Wilson, who will have dinner later Thursday with his family. For right now, this is where he wants to be.
"This is my family as well," said Wilson.
"No one, no one should go without a good meal any day, but particularly on Thanksgiving Day," Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett told those gathered.
"Where can you go in the United States where the governor and mayor come out to feed the hungry on Thanksgiving?" asked Stephanie Sanders with the Mozel Sanders Foundation.
"You heard many times today it's all about teamwork. It's all about family, and to have people know where they can go is of paramount importance every day of the year, not just today," said Gov. Eric Holcomb.
"Today, I enjoyed a new family," said Michael Russell, looking around the room.
All of it because the family of Mozel Sanders, the dinner's founder, has kept a legacy alive for 52 years.
"Just to think, 52 years later, we're here and still serving the community," said Stephen Sanders.