Members and clergy from eight churches and two synagogues gathered together to give thanks at the 26th annual service of praise and gratitude. All of them were supporters of the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry, which helps feed people who need it.

Congregants brought in offerings of groceries when they entered the sanctuary on this special service of Thanksgiving. Volunteers piled the cans and boxes in a colorful array beneath a display on the communion table of autumn leaves and gourds surmounting a 5-foot long challah, traditional Jewish braided egg bread, from Continental Kosher Bakery.

This year's host for the travelling service, First Christian Church of North Hollywood, also happens to house the pantry's distribution center. Assistant Pastor Louise Sloan Goben had the privilege of creating the order of the service she titled "Weave Us Together."

The challah symbolized the theme perfectly but was a shocking visual to some. Christians, including Rev. Goben, had never seen the size of a 15 pound loaf. For Jews, who expect a big challah at every gathering from an oneg Shabbat to a wedding, the sight of the braided beauty sitting under a cross was a jarring juxtaposition.

The service's theme derived from the realization of the organizers - pantry director Luis Oliart, Rev. Louise Sloan Goben and Rev. Robert Bock from First Christian Church and Rabbi Sarah Hronsky and Rabbi Joshua Samuels from Temple Beth Hillel, where pantry provisions are stored and bagged, - that the rest of the coalition members may have lost touch with the commitments their congregations historically had with the pantry.

The other pantry partners have undergone clergy changes and attrition of congregants during the 27 year life of the pantry.

"So there's not the sense of investment that some of us had in the past," Rev. Goben told me. "'Weave Us Together' means all of us feeling the need to embrace the ministry of being in common."

The special service included a contribution from each of the clergy present, representing seven of the coalition partners. Prayers and scripture readings were offered reminding the gathering of the biblical mandate to feed the hungry. Musical selections from the church's musicians and chancel choir enhanced the spiritual tenor of the service.

This gathering is a chance for volunteers, clients, supporters and members from all 10 participating churches and synagogues to get together in the same place at the same time, for a change. They may work during different shifts and in different locations. So they take this opportunity to express their appreciation to one another.

Friday volunteer captain Jerry Rabinowitz, 85, was the first featured speaker. Jerry's been volunteering with the pantry for 24 years. He reflected on the unity with which members of the community have worked all these years to serve the hungry, and mentioned especially the children who come to hand out bags and the homeless men who put in hours every Friday doing "the heavy lifting" all morning before taking their bag of food.

"That's dignity, that's honor," he intoned.  "And I want to continue doing this for as long as I can."

Carol Johnson is the distribution center's Monday captain. She noted that demand has nearly doubled since the recession began.

"And this past Monday our numbers tripled. We were three shy of 300 clients," she told the shocked assembly.

Johnson continues to be moved by acts of charity she witnesses at the pantry, like the birthday girl who brought her friends to the pantry with decorated bags full of food.

"I would just like to say that the food pantry is a continuing miracle, one that unites people by addressing hunger issues in our community. The greater the demand, the more people join this endeavor and for that we are grateful."

Pantry director, Luis Oliart, expressed his gratitude to all the volunteers, as well as the donors from the community at large, including CBS Studio Center and Los Angeles city council member Paul Krekorian. He then paid tribute to his predecessor Eve Marcus, a 26-year volunteer at the pantry who served eight of those years as director, while simultaneously captaining Monday morning distribution.

"While she was director she was the commander of over 100 volunteers and the pantry grew from serving 30,000 people a year to serving over 60,000," Oliart noted. "Tonight our pantry family wanted to share our respect and our affection for Eve."

Marcus rose to a standing ovation as Oliart presented her with a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles. In accepting, Marcus insisted she couldn't have done it alone, thanked the volunteers and Luis and humbly returned to her seat.

Finally, it fell to Rabbi Hronsky of Temple Beth Hillel to appeal for donations from the nearly 300 congregants gathered in the sanctuary.

"Thanks be to God and thanks be to all of you," she began, quoting the hymn just sung by the church choir. "We're taught in the Hebrew bible to open up your hands to those in need."

The rabbi went on to itemize the expenses incurred by the pantry in a year of service. Clients receive 600 bags of food a week, which are meant to serve 1,500 meals.

"That means we're feeding about 6,000 meals a month out of our little Interfaith Food Pantry."

Figuring the cost of a bag of groceries at $12 each, the total comes to $30,000 a year. Rabbi Hronsky pointed out that while some groceries are donated by coalition members and their congregants, most of the pantry's staples are purchased, either from the L.A. Food Bank or from local wholesalers.

With that the rabbi asked, "As you open your hearts on this Thanksgiving eve, when we are thankful to be gathered together we open our hearts and open our hands and in so doing, also open up our wallets."

Offering plates passed through the pews quickly became piled with bills and checks.

"I was very excited to see the number of people. I thought it was well attended and to see the donations that were brought also made me happy," said Rev. Goben, "because people are aware of the need."

According director Oliart, "The 2010 Thanksgiving Service generated $2,635.25 to help fund the  North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry Ministry. And a ton of food was brought in.  Two thousand pounds."

That ought to make for some happy holidays.