It was just one meal, but for some of the 4,000 poor and homeless people who received an early Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, the turkey, stuffing and gravy came with a message: "You are not alone; people care."

Both the meal and message were provided at locations all along O'ahu's Leeward coast through donations from Ko Olina Resort and nearly two dozen church and volunteer organizations, whose members said they want to let the homeless know they are an important part of the community.

"We are one with them and we want them to know they are not outcasts," said Jennie Bermudez, an outreach coordinator with Word of Life Christian Center, whose volunteers were among the people dishing out about 500 meals at Ma'ili Beach Park yesterday, one of 13 places where meals were served in what's become an annual event spearheaded by Ko Olina workers and management.

With lots of newly focused attention on the Leeward Coast homeless problem and Gov. Linda Lingle participating in a concrete-pouring event for a new state-sponsored shelter just a few miles away from the beach about the same time yesterday, those on the receiving end of the free meals were touched by the effort.

"The best thing is that everybody gets together for a few hours, and it feels great. The politicians don't seem able to help, but these people can come out and bring the community together," said Alice Greenwood, who has been living at the beach since July.

"It's just a little thing, but it's also nice to have some shade to sit under for a few hours," she said. Tents for the event were supplied by Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club.

Stacie, who arrived at the beach park just a few days ago with five young children and didn't want her last name used because she didn't want everyone to know she was homeless, said she especially liked the food for her children.

"It's a really good thing they're doing," she said. "I appreciate the help right now."

State Sen. Colleen Hanabusa said the volunteer effort will help keep attention focused on the area's homeless at a time when the government finally seems to have taken notice.

"The faith-based groups have been filling a great void in the community for some time now," she said. "Now, there's finally starting to be a sense of hope that things are improving."

Ko Olina's Thanksgiving Outreach coordinator Pele Toomata said the effort was part of Ko Olina's commitment to give back to its community. For almost a week, employees had been cooking the 2,700 pounds of turkey, 750 pounds of ham, 100 gallons of gravy, 600 pounds of rice, 400 pounds of corn, and 4,000 rolls and pumpkin desserts at locations along the coast, he said.

Yesterday, the meals were distributed by United Parcel Service truck drivers to church and community sites, where hundreds of volunteers were standing by to hand out the meals on paper plates, Toomata said.

While good spirits filled the air, several people said it was a filled stomach that counted even more.

"Out here you have to eat to survive," said Stan Maka, who has lived in a tarp-covered tent on the beach for two years and said he would have had to ride the bus for an hour and a half yesterday to find a free meal in Honolulu if the volunteers hadn't brought one to him. "It's still about basic needs."

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.