What are people in Suffolk thankful for this year, and what does Thanksgiving mean to them? As residents of Suffolk (and a couple of visitors) set out near downtown for their last-minute shopping errands prior to the holiday, we caught up with a few of them to find out.

Wanda Bates, 57, Suffolk

Thanksgiving is a time that I really enjoy having family come by. We always have our Thanksgiving meal together; we always pray together. Later in the evening, we update each other on what’s going on in our lives.

It’s about 15 of us by the time we finish. My mother does the majority of the cooking. I look forward to it, but I just dread the clean-up part. We’ll get through it.

Ken Wood, 61, Norfolk

It’s not commercial as much as other things; it’s more family oriented. We try to get together with brothers and sisters and cousins and nieces and nephews. We all do a little bit of the cooking; my mother used to do it all, but now she’s gone.

I remember when I was about 10 years old my mother cooked the turkey overnight. In the morning I would get up and go

outside, and a blast of cold air would hit you, and then I remember going back inside and smelling the turkey and the apple pie and cinnamon and all that stuff.

Brenda Lynn, 61, Suffolk

I thank God for the things he’s given me. We’ve got a lot going for us here, and I think we’re losing it, the things that we have, that He’s given us. Once we take God out of our country, I don’t think we have much hope.

We get together as a family and have a family meal and just be thankful for what we have. Through our local church, we have given to those who can’t afford to feed themselves.

We all do a little bit of the cooking. I’ll be bringing a little bit of turkey and little bit of ham, a cranberry salad, cabbage and potatoes, corn pudding — that’s what I’m taking.

Alatha Falls, 58, Suffolk

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I lost my mother during that time, in November, and it’s a very special day to me as well as my family. Thanksgiving to me is a very important day. It’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful time together and to be with family.

As a little girl I remember turkey, my parents cooking. We’re all in the kitchen making the mashed potatoes and sauerkraut and all that. There was a lot of us.

Jennifer Bachman, 33, Suffolk

It’s a time for sharing with family and being thankful for what you have. It’s a good time to bring in friends and family and

just enjoy the holidays. I don’t have any blood family here, but I have a best friend who lives close by, and she’s going to come out with her family, and I also have another new close friend who’s also going to be going.

William McConnell, 52, Isle of Wight

Thanksgiving to me is the time to have all the family together and celebrate just being. All the children are going to go their separate ways and on Sunday we’re going to have dinner all together as a family, when there’s less rush.

I just remember Grandma and Grandpa, I guess (from when I was a child). Busy lives today, it’s hard to get together and sit down, and it’s an opportunity to do that.

Marilyn Kirkvy, 58, Suffolk (pictured with husband Arthur Kirkvy, 59)

It’s a time to be with family and give thanks for your many blessings, to enjoy good food, good company, and, you know, take time to appreciate what you have. We have been invited to go to dinner with our son’s girlfriend’s family.

My early memories would be going with my mother and father and sister to New York. It was really beautiful; Christmas decorations were up at Thanksgiving. I remember getting to see relatives that we didn’t often see. I had lots of cousins.