By time the Thanksgiving dinner giveaway started Saturday, a line of families had begun to wrap around the Issaquah mega church.

Children, bundled for the frigid temperatures, bounced with excitement as parents received something hard to find at a food bank, whole turkeys.

“A lot of people don’t think there is a lot of need in the Issaquah/Sammamish area,” said Eastridge Church Pastor Josh Jamison. “The need is there, no matter what the economy is.”

The church gave away 2,000 turkeys in Issaquah and Seattle this year, alongside non-perishable goods for an entire Thanksgiving dinner.

The number of meals doubled, after the West Seattle Campus ran out of its 500 gobblers within 20 minutes last year.

While for many the meal helped shoulder the financial burden of the holidays, for others it was the only chance to have a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner.

Issaquah’s Lori Power waited an hour in line to get a turkey. She wouldn’t have had one for her family this year without the event, she said. “I’m on disability. We have a tight budget.”

While people came from as far as Bothell, much of the need was local.

Don Hayes, who regularly attends Eastridge, stood in line while his son helped distribute food.

“Unfortunately in this economy, you got to do what you can,” said Hayes, who lost his job three months ago.

For a long time churches have expected people to come in to get served. However, Eastridge is trying to change that perception by stepping out into the community, Jamison said. “If you follow the life of Christ, he was practically filling people needs.”

For many, the event was as big of a blessing for those who served as for those who received, especially for families. Children and teens worked alongside parents to bag food, carry the frozen turkeys, and break down head-high stacks of boxes.

Rich Schlegmilch chuckled as his 6-year-old son struggled to carry a turkey with two outstretched arms. He traded the boy for a lighter bag of groceries, and the two walked out to a visitor’s car.

“We have more than enough and we want to show the community how much we love them,” he said.