GULFPORT, Fla. (WFLA) — The holiday is taking on a deeper meaning this year for Gulfport residents still recovering from hurricanes Helene and Milton.

A beloved community tradition was forced to adapt after the storms.

This year’s Thanksgiving celebration in Gulfport looks a little different. What’s normally held at Gulfport Beach has moved to Wood Ibis Park, just across the street from Comfort Cafe, the event’s longtime host.

“Our yearly Thanksgiving community. Thanksgiving? We usually do it at the beach, but after the hurricanes, you know, the pavilions are not in use right now. So, we had to improvise and do it here this year,” Comfort Café owner Patricia Meeks said.

The move comes after a busy hurricane season that devastated Gulfport Beach and much of the surrounding area, leaving residents without homes, businesses or places to celebrate the holiday.

“This area got devastated when so many people here lost everything. So, we knew this year was going to be more important than ever because a lot of people don’t have anywhere to go,” Meeks said. “They don’t have homes.”

Bob Channing is usually on the giving end of this thanksgiving holiday.

“We didn’t hold up good,” he said. “It all kind of lost everything. We’re staying at my in my sister’s sunroom and two condos here, and usually I have 25 people at my house because I do have some family here,” Channing said. “I moved everybody down. And this year, like, we’re in a little condo. We can’t do anything.”

And while many residents are still waiting for repairs to begin, Thursday’s event serves as a reminder that Gulfport’s sprits remain unbroken.

“Silence is deafening,” Channing said. “What I mean by that is if you’re here since the storm, you don’t hear a hammer, you don’t hear a saw. People want to fix our houses, but the government isn’t letting us.”

Organizers hope this years’ Thanksgiving celebration will help bring the community together and provide a sense of normalcy.

“One of the biggest staples of our beaches was the volleyball courts. And now it’s more like a pool. You know, it’s just gone.” Meeks said. “Everything’s just gone out there. And then all the businesses on that side of it, they’re all just wiped out.”

Comfort Cafe said they’re committed to keeping the tradition going every year, no matter the obstacles. And for the community there, it’s proof that even in the face of loss, the community is stronger than ever.