Last Thursday, as volunteers began assembling lunch tables in the middle of MLK Boulevard, Michael Ryan had already been up since 3 am, having run his New Terra routes - composting several thousand pounds of local food waste - in order to hustle downtown and set up more compost bins for the annual Gratefull lunch, so that every part of the free meal - the food, forks and knives, plates and cups - could be composted back to the land and soil.

That's no easy task.

Had any coffee?

"An entire pot," he said.

A generous and slightly jittery Michael and New Terra made the Gratefull lunch possibly Chattanooga's most waste-free meal in 2024.

It's definitely our most meaningful.

"Now, you just find yourself a seat next to someone," a father told his three children, each carrying plates, "whether you know them or not."

Yes, it's that kind of day.

Last Thursday, as the noon sun warmed four lanes of 200 East MLK Boulevard - police had blocked off vehicular traffic, and dozens of tables were placed end-to-end over the double yellow lines - hundreds of Chattanoogans participated in a ritual both ancient and preciously opportune.

A community breaking bread together.

There was turkey and dressing, laughter and pumpkin pie, strangers and old friends touching elbows, telling stories under Sinatra-blue skies, with piano solos, balloons, collards and cranberries.

It's quite simple: volunteers and sponsors host a free community meal.

And everyone's welcome.

Sponsored by River City Co., the annual Gratefull Lunch celebrated its 10th anniversary as one of the most big-hearted events in Chattanooga and the Southeast. (At least six other US cities have created their own version, River City Co. says.).

It was as if all the scattered parts of modern society came back together - the jig-saw of our lives fitting into place - as all the great parts of life were there, all compressed in a few hours' of warm food, generosity and community.  

"I come here every year and I love it," said Marsha Roberts. "I think it's a beautiful thing about Chattanooga."

On the west end of the long stretch of tables, Marsha sat across from Sandy Campagnone - with a vegan meal, thanks to Cashew - thought back to years' past.

"I remember one year, it was so cold," she said. "There was a baby a mother had brought."

Folks wanted to hug and smell the baby, she said. So, the mother - gently - passed her baby around the group, as if the baby was both receiving and imparting blessing.

"We smelled the baby," Marsha said. "It was a sense of community. It makes you proud to be a Chattanoogan."

Behind them, a group of friends erupted in laughter and hugs.

"See," said Sandy. "It's happening right here."

It began in 2014, with Causeway hosting "One Table" in hopes of creating a meal without any barriers to entry: race, money, housed or not, history and experience, politics, sexuality, zip code, religion.

Janelle Tonge, an onboarding specialist with Unum and Brainerd High graduate, was the first in a long line of volunteers, helping pass out plates.

"It's important to give back to the community," she said.

But why? It was a beautiful day; she could be anywhere, doing anything. Why this?

She answered with her favorite Shirley Chisholm quote.

"Community service is the rent we pay here on Earth," she said.

Robert Nix was there, with a plate of food.

"I don't have no home," he said. "No family."

Homeless since 2012, the man from north Alabama had been to a few Gratefull meals over the years.

"I get to see a few people. It's a nice meal," he said.

Cold weather's coming; how do you make it?

"If you got enough winter gear and can get out of the rain and cover up with a tarp," he said.

"This is the best thing Chattanooga does all year," one woman said, in passing. "We need to do more things like this during the year."

Yes ... and how?

As a community? A large event, hosted more frequently?

Is it possible to recreate the goodness of Gratefull in smaller ways, each day, with those we meet?

What can shift so there's more generosity and connection - with less tension and tightness - in our lives, homes and city?

In the middle of the long table - at its 50-yard line - LeRoy Norwood forked up more collards and green beans, wearing a Washington Redskins coat, with Super Bowl replica ring on his right hand, and a huge smile.

"A free Thanksgiving meal. It is a blessing from God," he said.

His list of blessings was long - "my health, my strength, my daughter, my mom and dad and the rest of my family, the fact I've been here on God's green earth for 43 years" - but was not complete without the contending Washington Redskins, standing, at the time, at 7-4. (The team has been renamed the Commanders, but not to LeRoy.)

"Go 'Skins," he said.

He's been a fan since 1987, when one man - the first Black QB ever to win the Super Bowl - became legendary.

"Doug Williams," intoned LeRoy.

Then, the Gratefull lunch worked its magic once more.

Next to LeRoy sat Jim Johnson, who's attended Gratefull every year and even texts photos of the event to friends in Europe: look at what we're doing here.

"I get to be with a lot of wonderful Chattanoogans," he said. "It's one of my favorite events of the year. There are so many people, from different neighborhoods and walks of life that I don't normally have the opportunity to break bread with. I just love it."

Between LeRoy and Jim, there was turkey, kale salad, cranberry sauce, green beans, dressing, mashed potatoes.

"And more desserts than a guy from Boston deserves," Jim said.

Hold up.

Boston?

"I'm a Patriots fan," he said. "It's a requirement."

Jim went to high school and college with Bill Belichick, the former Pats legend.

Then, Jim, a lifelong Pats fan, leaned in next to LeRoy, shaking hands with his Super Bowl Redskins ring, smiling and the two began chatting, with warm mashed potatoes on their plates, friends for this precious hour, the willing recipients of the most meaningful meal.

Yes, it's that kind of day.

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This story is 100% human generated; no AI chatbot was used in the creation of this content.