GREENSBORO — Volunteers began their Christmas morning early preparing 700 pounds of turkey to serve to those in need .

Anna Freiberg, owner of Bender’s Tavern, is continuing a tradition started by her parents in the early 1980s to serve a free Christmas meal. The event typically draws more than 3,000 people.

Greensboro Urban Ministry usually helps feed the homeless in the area every day. But the nonprofit closes twice a year — Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Without a place for people to get food on those holidays, the Freibergs decided they would take on that task.

“We pick up the slack for them,” Anna Freiberg said. “Otherwise, people would have nowhere to go and nowhere to eat.”

People began arriving at Bender’s Tavern about 10:30 a.m.

Several people said they didn’t know Urban Ministry was closed until they started walking toward the building on West Lee Street.

Then they learned about a shuttle service taking people to Bender’s Tavern, which is on West Market Street.

People piled off the shuttle and into the restaurant Thursday.