Lining up with thousands of people for a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, Kathrine Gilmore kisses and snuggles with her daughter Kaytlynn Thompson, age 7, outside the Spokane Arena, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012, in Spokane Wash. The Salvation Army along with 2nd Harvest and Tom’s Turkey Tuesday gave away thousands of turkeys and meal preparations to families in need.
Today I went the the Spokane Arena to check out the turkey giveaway for needy residents of Spokane. The line was thousands deep and snaked all the way out of the building. What amazed me most about this scene was not how many people turned out to get a free turkey, but the stories they told me of why they were in line. The Great Recession has taken a tremendous toll on families, with many still fighting to regain their economic footing. It made me me think if I lost my job, how many missed paychecks away I’d be from joining them in line. Nikon D700, Nikkor 17-35mm lens Colin Mulvany/© The Spokesman-Review