For those fortunate enough, Thanksgiving is a day to enjoy lots of food surrounded by family and friends, but the things we enjoy about Thanksgiving can also make it a challenging day for those less fortunate.

Food hardship is soaring this holiday season, according to the organization Hunger Free America. According to new survey data released this week, 76% of New York state’s food pantries lack the resources to meet the demand.

“You can’t ration your rent or you get evicted. You can’t ration your health care payments or your prescription payments or you don’t get health care,” Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg said. “You can reduce the cost of your food by skipping meals … This is absolutely about people not being able to afford the cost of living.”

“Everyone that walks through that door, we show them love”

The Bowery Mission, which has been providing meals and shelter to New Yorkers since the late 1800s, expects to serve about 2,000 people this Thanksgiving.

Executive chef Raffaele DePalma knows the importance of the meals that he plans to serve for the holiday because not so long ago, he was the one being served.

“I did some time. I did about a year. And I found myself here at the Mission in 2016,” he said. “We make sure everyone that walks through that door, we show them love.”

There’s a sign at the Bowery visible to the volunteers as meals are served: “Serve like you are serving a king.”

“It’s literally saved my life”

The people the Mission serves have entirely different backgrounds and circumstances, but they have a contradiction in common: while they don’t want to be there, they’re grateful that they are.

“I was really judgmental of coming to Bowery or anything like that,” Ashley Bauman said. “But for the last month, coming here, it’s really helpful.”

“A place like this makes it safe. You don’t have to ask for it. It’s given,” Tamara Vasquez said.

“To be able to come here, eat, help us with clothing and stuff… It’s literally saved my life,” Angelo Colon said.

The Bowery Mission’s Thanksgiving meal service begins at 11 a.m. Thursday.