100 Black Men of Valdosta feeds hundreds for Thanksgiving
Published 2:36 pm Sunday, November 30, 2025
VALDOSTA — 100 Black Men of Valdosta hosted their Thanksgiving Foodfest Dinner on Nov. 22 alongside the Salvation Army, where they passed out over 1,000 plates of Thanksgiving dinners to members of the Valdosta community.
The event ran from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with volunteers starting to pass out plates as early as 8:30 a.m. for people who showed up early. Some 114 people worked to welcome community members, prepare food and serve plates, including all 100 members of 100 Black Men of Valdosta and 14 additional volunteers. Many of these volunteers came from New Life Ministries, while others have volunteered for years. Two volunteers joined for the first time after hearing about the event and wanting to help.
“While the event was advertised to start at 9 a.m., 50 or more people were present at 8:30 and I assembled the first serving line of volunteers to start serving,” Nathaniel Haugabrook II, president emeritus of 100 Black Men of Valdosta, said. “We understood the need for a hot meal and there was no reason to make individuals in need to wait any longer. With two serving lines, we were able to feed those present and to prepare more than 200 meals for local nursing homes and those physically challenged or without transportation.”
By the end of the dinner, around 1,200 plates had been served to the community, and more were given to people in the Salvation Army’s emergency shelter.
The organization and volunteers served “38 turkeys, 20 pans of dressing, 12 pans of potato salad, 12 pans of greens, 12 pans of macaroni and cheese, 12 pans of corn, cranberry sauce, sweet potato pie, pound cake, a variety of sodas, and water,” according to Haugabrook. The side dishes were prepared by Chef Tammy Acree, a local chef and owner of Chef Heavenly Spice Blend.
“Without Ms. Acree, this year’s event would not have been a success,” Haugabrook said.
100 Black Men of Valdosta has hosted this event every year since 1995, but after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, food insecurity has reached a record high as compared to recent years.
“We are living in very challenging and unfamiliar times that have placed a burden on many families to provide the basic necessities of life,” Haugabrook said. “It is all our responsibility to help as many people and families as we can when we have the wherewithal to do so.”
For 100 Black Men of Valdosta, this event is more than just the food that is served to the people in the community; it is an opportunity to reach out to people and let them know that there are people who care and want to help, as well as a way to get their message and mission out into the community.
The organization will serve lunches to children in an apartment complex or housing authority in the area on the week of Christmas. After that, in March of 2026, they will begin their annual scholarship competition and award four scholarships to high school students wanting a higher education. Their annual Black Tie Gala will be hosted in July of 2026 as a fundraising opportunity, and will feature guest speaker, former Atlanta mayor and current gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
“A heartfelt thank you to the Salvation Army, New Life Ministries, and other volunteers, and to the men of the 100 who cooked turkeys into the early morning hours the day before this event, yet showed up at 6:30 a.m. to prepare to serve the community,” Haugabrook said.
