10:25am | This past Sunday, over 100 St. Anthony High School students and parents, teachers and staff, joined together to serve more than 400 homeless and community families in need at the St. Anthony Parish Hall. It is an annual effort to make the lives of many in the Long Beach community begin the often rough holiday season on a far more positive note for those in need — and they did it in the simplest way they can: with a good meal and a warm smile in their day.

Students and their families showed up early in the morning to donate and cook up an early Thanksgiving meal of everything from turkey and ham to pumpkin and apple pie. In fact, the donations from the high school’s students and parents were so generous that there were many leftovers which were distributed after the meal to local homeless shelters and food banks.

Jessica Zanatta, a junior and member of the high school’s President Ambassador leadership development program, stated, “It was exciting [to] come together and made sure our guests knew they were not forgotten and that we care… We all need to remember how truly blessed we are to be alive and part of such a great and caring community.”

For more information, contact St. Anthony High School at (562) 435-4496 or visit www.LongBeachSaints.org.