GROVETOWN, Ga. () – Every Thanksgiving, Promise Church in Grovetown extends a warm welcome to trainees from Fort Gordon, providing them with a heartfelt holiday experience far from their own families. Located at 3432 Gordon HWY, the church transforms into a haven for these young individuals, offering them a Thanksgiving meal that aims to bring the comforting essence of home to those who cannot travel back due to their training commitments.

Pastor Jeremy Mills of Promise Church explains that these trainees are in their first year and are required to remain on the base during the holiday season. Understanding this, the church steps in to create a sense of belonging and festivity for them.

On Saturday, November 22nd, photojournalist Avery Van Dusen captured the heartwarming scene as the church rolled out the red carpet—literally—for the trainees. The evening was designed to mimic the familiar sights, scents, and tastes of a traditional Thanksgiving, complete with outdoor fire pits and a home-cooked feast.

“Tonight, we have an open opportunity for the AIT students on Fort Gordon,” Pastor Mills shared. “These are students who cannot return home for Thanksgiving. We open up our church to give them the chance to enjoy a homegrown meal, relax, and soak in the evening’s warmth.”

The tradition, which began in 2019, has seen the church community rally together every year to host new groups of trainees, except for a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With safety measures in place, the cherished tradition has resumed, continuing to bring comfort and joy to those who need it most during the holiday season.

With their feet still on the red carpet rolled out to them by Promise Church, volunteers from the church greeted the trainees at the door, thanking them for their service.

Ruth Mills, the wife of Promise Church’s pastor and co-organizer of the meal, recounts a story from two years ago when a solider fought back tears and said, “Smells like home,” upon walking through the doorway and seeing the feast the members of Promise Church had laid out for him and his fellow trainees.

Pastor Mills tells that he knows all about being in the military and longing for home – he was in the Air Force and dispatched to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“It’s just a wonderful time for them to come in,” says Ruth Mills on treating the trainees, essentially strangers, like beloved family members. “They can’t go home for Thanksgiving, so we just welcome them and give them a great meal – and we’re their family [for the night].”

Promise Church has a special ministry called Promise Life, which serves military members and offers brotherhood, sisterhood, and support during their service.

Photojournalist credit: Avery Van Dusen