Loft Provides Thanksgiving Meal for Families in Need

Myrtice Abrams of Sarasota looked around with delight on Thanksgiving as the restaurant provides families with a free hot meal.

"There’s a lot of people who don’t have enough money and aren’t fortunate enough to spend it on (a Thanksgiving meal)," said Abrams, a school bus driver who attended the dinner with her son Jamal.  "I was very blessed that they invited us because things are very tight."

The Loft Ristobar just opened last year, but owners Steve and Liz Rinehart know how important it is to provide a Thanksgiving meal to those who can’t afford it.

"We feel it’s very important,” Steve Rinehart said. "The Lord’s blessed us and we wanted to be able to bless those who are less fortunate."

Event organizers contacted several organizations and churches in the area, including and , to screen applicants to see who might welcome a needed meal on a day of thanks.

About 200 people were expected to come to the Ristobar, Liz Rinehart said, and families made their way in as the doors opened at noon.

Jaheida Monserrate’s family came to the event through Mothers Helping Mothers, where she volunteered at one time. She said she appreciates the meal after the tough year her family experienced.

"My husband lost his job earlier this year,” she said. "It's been very hard to find work nowadays. They tell you 'I'll call you back,' and they'll never call or they had it where he worked for three days and the guy didn’t pay him. He did painting and wood flooring on the side."

The event served as a kick-off to other events at The Loft, said Vivian Kehrer, event organizer.

The children at the Thanksgiving Dinner were encourage to put a wish list on the Christmas tree at the restaurant and are invited back to the Winter Wonderland at The Loft on Dec. 17 where there’ll be snow, a dunk tank, a bounce area and even an appearance by Santa, said Anita Cochran, also an event organizer, and works at Turning Point Alternative Care and Chiropractic Center.

Visitors to the restaurant are encouraged to take a wish list and shop for a child and drop off the gifts through Dec. 16 at the following businesses: 

• Turning Point Alternative Care and Chiropractic Center

• Car Care Connection

• Sarasota Sign Machine

• Loft Ristobar

The Dec. 17 event is free and open to the public from noon to 8 p.m.

Next week, The Loft is also hosting a Holiday Gala on Dec. 2 from 7 to 10 p.m. to benefit Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center and HOPE Family Services. The admission is $20 plus a new unwrapped toy.

For more information, call (914) 312-6994.

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What are you most thankful for?

"Family, my health, my friends and this wonderful event. This is such a blessing for a lot of families." — Jaheida Monserrate

"I’m thankful for my family. My four loving children and my beautiful wife, my health and all the people I’ve supported." — Steve Rinehart 

"My family, my son Jamal." — Myrtice Abrams

Editor's Note: This article was revised. It was corrected to reflect that Anita Cochran is not a chiropractor at Turning Point, but is a staff member there, and also mistated the admission for the upcoming events.