Interfaith Thanksgiving Service is Monday in Modesto

MODESTO -- The 16th annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Modesto Church of the Brethren.

People from various faiths will share an expression of thanksgiving through the reciting or chanting of holy writings and through music. Participants will include Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, Baha'is, Mormons, Catholics and Protestants.

"The hope is to bring people together for bridge building, to promote getting to know and understand and appreciate the diversity of our community more," said the Rev. Erin Matteson, who is helping to organize the event. "We hope people will consider coming out to be exposed in positive ways to traditions they may know nothing about, and for the chance to share in an act of thanksgiving and service with an offering for Inter-Faith Ministries that we all can support."

Attendees are asked to donate canned goods, men's and boy's clothing, and monetary gifts to support Inter-Faith, a nonprofit ministry that supplies food and clothes to the needy in Modesto.

Child care for infants through age 5 is available; the church is at 2301 Woodland Ave. For more information, call (209) 324-7626.