Days of anticipation turned to delicious reality today. Oven-roasted turkey, Virginia-baked ham, sweet and mashed potatoes, apple sage dressing, candied yams and green beans. Pumpkin pie, cookies, coffee hot chocolate and warm apple cider. Today (Tuesday), Greater Nevada Field held the true spirit of the holiday season. As the Senior VP of Eldorado Resorts Glenn Carano told me, "This isn't store-bought. This is the real deal. We cook it and we bake it and we do it all. It's fresh!"

The best reviews came from the customers themselves, like Mary. She told me, "I think this was the most beautiful meal that I have never had in my entire life." It’s a good day for Mary, who’s getting back on her feet after a bad relationship: "I trusted people that I used to know along with another that I ran into, and now I don't have anything left."

3 tables away, Daniel says he went from cash rich, to barely affordable through bad choices: "My rent went up and it was out of reach, so I figured if I went and hit the casino I'd be able to pay my rent, right?" Now in new housing, he's been anticipating this for days. As he put it, "I have a meal like this and all of a sudden, I'm right with the world."

Christiana and her 2 boys were first in line at 10:00, and waited in line for an hour for their time at the table and hot turkey dinners. She told me, "I really cherish this meal. If it wasn't for these guys, a lot of these people would be going hungry." Christiana worked at McDonalds for 6 years. She's now a stay at home mom...just getting by: "We have a home and all, and we have food. It's just we have very little food that lasts."

There were folks going through tough times in 1998 too, when a Silver Legacy banquet manager by the name of Jeffrey Olsen approached his boss at the Silver Legacy about treating folks like these, just like their wealthiest customers. Carano told me, "I think Jeff was just number one a great guy, and he was just a very thankful guy giving back to the community."

Giving back to folks like Daniel, who today had no worries over getting enough food. He finished every bite…but he complimented the people who were serving him the most: "Non-judgmental personalities like that make it so much easier to get back into the swing of things, I think."

Outside, hungry customers were lined up around the tent for the next seating, and their Thanksgiving at noon.