On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, four members of Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals Network (YPN) joined other volunteers for an event at First Presbyterian Church in Bismarck to help serve a free community Thanksgiving meal.

Sister Kathleen Atkinson, of the Annunciation Monastery and Ministry on the Margins lead the effort to provide the meal. More than 80 volunteers were on site to cook, serve and clean for the event that served over 200 people. Atkinson hopes the meal provided more than just a full belly for people who may normally eat at the weekly Banquet, which does not serve on Thanksgiving Day. Another of her goals was to provide a sense of community to those in need.

Ministry on the Margins was founded by Sister Kathleen in 2013 with encouragement from a group of compassionate individuals, churches and organizations. It is a volunteer-based ecumenical ministry committed to supporting those who fall through the cracks during times of transition.