‘Boundless family’ gathers for Thanksgiving meal at Micah’s Mission

Food, friends and fun most accurately described the atmosphere in the kitchen and community center Thursday

Jason Sturlaugson carves one of the many turkeys prepared for the festive Thanksgiving feast at Churches United on Thursday, Nov 27, 2025.

By Melissa Van Der Stad for Churches United

Over 90 people celebrated Thanksgiving together at Micah’s Mission on Thursday, Nov. 27.

In true holiday fashion, there was plenty of food to go around and lots of love behind each plate.

Kitchen assistant Flo was the magic behind the meal, preparing food all day while leading an army of volunteers.

Throughout the day, she cooked up 12 fresh turkeys, all while mashing potatoes, mixing gravy and juggling an influx of food donations – including another 12 turkeys and a mountain of pumpkin pie.

Churches United CEO Pastor Devlyn Brooks, left, stands with Abdishakur Mohamed, a community volunteer who brought over 100 handmade sambusas on behalf of the metro's Somali community to complement the Thanksgiving feast held at Micah's Mission on Thursday, Nov 27, 2025.

“I’m someone who likes to multitask,” Flo said. “And today, I had help from a couple of volunteers. They really helped me a lot.”

A lifelong volunteer, Colleen Bishop has found a strong sense of purpose and a welcoming community since she started helping out at Churches United a few weeks ago. 

“Once I stepped in here, I realized, this is the place,” Colleen said. “This is a different type of family; a boundless family.”

She has so much to be thankful for in her own life, Colleen said, so it just feels right to try and give back to the community around her.

Colleen comes in to help four to five days a week, she said, rain or shine. Somedays that’s sorting through clothing donations and others that’s cleaning the kitchen.

“I told my husband, from now on, this is where we’re going to be on Thanksgiving. To be with our family,” Colleen said. 

Her husband, Paul Bishop, credits her as his inspiration for coming out to help serve people on Thanksgiving this year. 

Abdishakur Mohamed (center) and Fowzia Adde (right) distribute freshly made sambusa, courtesy of the metro's Somali community, to Churches United volunteer Colleen Bishop during a Thanksgiving meal held on Thursday, Nov 27, 2025.

“I don’t consider this work,” Paul said. “It’s helping people. It’s what we're supposed to do. God wants you to help out.”

Bringing in mealtime reinforcements were Abdishakur Mohamed and Fowzia Adde, two volunteers who carried in piles of sambusas that were handmade by members of the metro’s Somali community.

Tonight is a great window into the heart of Moorhead, Abdishakur said. 

“We’re showing the whole world, the whole country and the whole state how united we are in Moorhead,” he said. “How united the whole community is by sharing a meal together.” 

Abdishakur kept busy by handing out the freshly made food to guests and staff who were already sitting down to eat.

Meanwhile, Jason Sturlaugson cruised the kitchen listening to college basketball on his phone as he carved turkey after turkey and made runs to the freezer for more Cool Whip.

“We just like to volunteer around the holidays because God blessed us with so much,” Jason said. “It’s our way to give back to the community that’s given us so much.”

Kitchen Assistant Flo worked all day to prepare a dozen turkeys, piles of potatoes and a mountain of stuffing for over 90 people during Churches United's Thanksgiving feast on Thursday, Nov 27, 2025.

It’s an annual family tradition that both he and Sherri Sturlaugson recommend. 

“It’s so rewarding,” he said. “Whether you can come for an hour or you can come for 5 minutes, it’s just life-changing to help folks out.”

There were over two dozen volunteers who flooded into the building on Thursday, Pastor Devlyn Brooks said, on top of the guests who assist around Micah’s Mission on a daily basis.

On Thanksgiving, Pastor Devlyn said he was thankful for Churches United and the "unexpected call” over a year ago that led to him serving as CEO. 

There is something special about a place where staff, community and guests all eat together without boundaries, he said.

“It does really redefine what family means,” Pastor Devlyn said. “I think if more of our community could see that, could see the joy that emanates out of here, it would dispel a lot of myths about what shelters are, what homelessness means, and what family means.”

The metro community donated dozens of pumpkin pies for the Thanksgiving meal at Churches United on Thursday, Nov 27, 2025.