DAYTON, Ohio — Dayton’s long-running free Thanksgiving meal, the Feast of Giving, will welcome Blue Star Families as a featured partner this year, in a partnership organizers say is meant to spotlight food insecurity among military families in the Dayton region. The Dayton Daily News reported on Oct. 28 that Blue Star Families, described as the nation’s largest chapter-based military family support organization, will serve as a featured partner at the Feast on Nov. 26 at the Dayton Convention Center.
The 2026 Feast of Giving will be held on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Dayton Convention Center, according to Dayton937, which reported the event details. Everyone is welcome to the free meal, entertainment and fellowship, Dayton937 reported, and Blue Star Families will host a welcoming space for military families in the community room and, with other event partners, distribute free cold-weather essentials.
The partnership carries particular weight in the Dayton region, which is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Springfield Air National Guard Base and one of Ohio’s largest veteran populations, according to Dayton937. The Feast has offered what Dayton937 described as a stigma-free table to all since 1969, and organizers said the new partnership is intended to make sure military households know that seat is theirs as well.
“Most people would be surprised to learn that military families right here in our community struggle to afford groceries,” Feast of Giving Director Steve Paris told Dayton937. “We’re honored to welcome Blue Star Families and to show those who serve, and their families, that Dayton has their back.”
The need behind the partnership is documented in survey data cited by Dayton937. According to the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses, 45% of spouses of junior enlisted service members, ranks E-1 to E-4, reported food insecurity. Blue Star Families’ 2025 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, also cited by Dayton937, found 28% of active-duty families reported low or very low food security in 2025, up from 16% in 2023.
Dayton937 reported that frequent moves, child care costs, spouse unemployment, high living costs near bases and SNAP rules that count housing allowances as income all help drive the problem. “Food insecurity among military families is real and often invisible,” Geri Maples, director of Blue Star Families Ohio, told Dayton937. “Partnerships like this one help ensure families feel supported by the communities they serve.” Maples also told Dayton937 she encourages every local military family to make the Feast of Giving part of their holiday plans.
Getting to the Feast will be free as well. RTA rides are free systemwide on Thanksgiving Day, and parking is free in the garage connected to the convention center, according to Dayton937. For residents who cannot attend but want to help, Dayton937 reported that donations in support of the Feast can be made at feastofgiving.org, as the community table that has welcomed Dayton since 1969 prepares to make room, explicitly, for the families of those who serve.
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