HELENA — Veterans dedicate a part of their lives to serving the United States, and the Helena community is serving veterans on Thursday by giving them what they might need to have a successful holiday.

“Overall, our mission is to make sure that they feel appreciated, wanted, and valued,” said Sarah Smith, a volunteer with Joining Community Forces (JCF).

This year is the tenth annual veterans holiday feed, and Smith has been involved since it began.

She said, “We were in one of the smaller churches with a tiny little kitchen, and we had, I want to say, about 70-some people show up.”

Now, the event hosts around 200 people.

JCF puts it on with help from organizations like the Oro Fino Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, staff from Fort Harrison, Dynamic Health, and the Montana Military One Source.

JCF is entirely run by volunteers and funded through grants and donors.

They work with veterans and their families to put together holiday wish lists, which are then shared with the Helena community to help check off gifts that volunteers later wrap.

“We have some gifts back there right now that are laundry soap to help a mom make sure she has what she needs to keep her kids healthy,” said Smith.

Veterans meet for dinner and can bring home a turkey that Costco donates.

While a big part of the event is the free meals and gifts to help veterans in need, many of the veterans would be alone for the holidays without it.

Smith said, “Watching this room when it fills up and watching them connect is absolutely my favorite part because I know how important it is to connect, to be a part of something, to be a part of a community.”

You can find more about Joining Community Forces here.