I recently read a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll that asked Utah voters which rising prices concerned them most. Among 799 registered Utah voters surveyed, 51% said “groceries and other household items,” making it the clear No. 1 concern. Housing followed at 24%, with health care at 16%.

Across Utah, families are feeling the pressure of rising food costs. For poor, working families, higher grocery bills can mean there is less money available for rent, utilities, and other household expenses. For those already experiencing homelessness or living on very limited incomes, the margin is even smaller.

Here at the Rescue Mission, we are not immune to these challenges.

Almost everything we purchase to feed, house, and clothe our homeless friends and low-income neighbors has increased in price. Because of these pressures, the Rescue Mission is operating at a year-to-date deficit in 2026.

At the same time, many of the people we serve need more help than ever. That makes this Thanksgiving season especially important. As I have been thinking and praying about our annual Thanksgiving banquet for the homeless, I keep coming back to Jesus’ words in Luke 14:12-14:

“When you give a dinner or a banquet . . . invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

That is the heart behind our annual Thanksgiving banquet for homeless men, women, and families. Last year, alongside our banquet, we distributed over 2,400 family food boxes to families who needed help stretching their limited resources so they could keep food on the table and stay in their homes.

This year, because of our financial pressures, we need your support more than ever. We want to make sure that no one in our community has to spend Thanksgiving alone or wonder where their next meal will come from. We want everyone to have a seat at the table, to feel welcomed, loved, and fed.

We often say that hope begins with a meal, and in many cases, it does. A warm meal can open the door to friendship, encouragement, and an opportunity to share the love of Jesus. Those relationships can become the beginning of restored lives and renewed faith in God.

Please consider making a gift to our Thanksgiving and holiday meal outreach today. Your support will help us provide food, fellowship, and the hope of Christ to our homeless friends and low-income neighbors this holiday season.

Thank you for helping us make room at the table.

God bless you,

Chris D. Croswhite
Executive Director