Thanksgiving Eve, the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is known to be a huge party night. The clubs are packed with college kids home for a long weekend, the local bars are standing room only with drink specials and hire DJs or bands for the overflow of patrons who have off the next day and are looking to drink, party and stay out late on a weekday. Every twenty-something will probably have a drink in their hand and a party hardy attitude, knowing they can sleep late on Turkey Day and wake up with a hangover until its time for dinner.

But Joey and Lauren Furjanic have other plans. They’ll be having a big party but it won’t be in a bar or nightclub. He won’t have a beer in his hand and she won’t be sipping a martini. Instead, they will don aprons and have serving spoons in both hands as they host a Thanksgiving Dinner to feed 200 hungry.

The Furjanic’s are a young married couple who are the lead pastors of The Block Church, located at Richmond Hall, 2619 Indiana Avenue at Thompson Street, across from Stokley Playground. On Wednesday, November 26 they are hosting “Thanksgiving On The Block” from 6-8pm and extend a welcoming invitation to those in need of a Thanksgiving meal.

“Our hope is to feed families or individuals in need living in the Port Richmond, Kensington, or Fishtown neighborhoods,” said Joey Furjanic.  “We have food and room for 200 total people.”

You can register yourself and/or your family by calling 267-777-9978 and leaving a voicemail about the event. You can also register on our website, www.theblockchurch.org by clicking the “Thanksgiving On The Block” banner.

“We are inviting families, groups, individuals who are in need of a hot, cooked Thanksgiving meal to join us on Wednesday evening,” Pastor Furjanic said. “It’s a come as you are policy, meaning wear whatever you like. It doesn’t matter your background, your struggle, or your status. We welcome you to join us and we do not want to turn anyone away.”

That is why it is very important to RSVP if you are planning on attending this Thanksgiving feast. All the delicious food was donated and prepared by Catering By Mario’s and will be served right to your table by Block Church members and community volunteers from organizations like Port Richmond On Patrol & Civic Association PROPAC.

The Block Church is a brand new church located in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia, focused on reviving the city one block at a time. The Block Church is a contemporary, Bible based congregation that focuses on loving the community and one another. Currently, they meet on Sundays at 10:15am at Richmond Hall Caterers, 2619 Indiana Avenue, and provide ministry for children downstairs while adults enjoy their service upstairs. Each week they have free coffee, live worship music, and Bible based teaching and practice communion weekly and baptisms quarterly.

The Furjanics have been providing outreach to the surrounding communities and personally extend this invitation to spend Thanksgiving Eve with them.