If you think putting on Thanksgiving dinner is challenging, try cooking for several hundred people ... and you don't even know for sure how many are coming.

That's the task at Haven of Rest Ministries on Thanksgiving Day. Assistant Food Service Manager JoNell Muth says they cooked 250 turkeys, 300 pounds of potatoes and 1,000 pumpkin pies.

"They get real potatoes on Thanksgiving and Christmas," said Muth.

Director of Operations Rev. Curtis Thomas says some of the people who show up for the dinner end up becoming clients.

I think the time that they're here for the meal they can forget about the problems that brought them here and once they've talked to our staff it's a great opening to say, 'hey, I need some help,'" said Thomas.

Thomas was expecting to serve up to 800 people Thursday. It took about 125 volunteers to make it happen.

Of course, both Muth and Thomas offer reminders that while Thanksgiving and Christmas meals attract more people, it's nearly a full house every day at Haven of Rest.