Michigan woman cooks Thanksgiving dinners for youth in need

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) —  A Michigan woman has spent days preparing Thanksgiving meals for kids in need. She said it’s not the food, but the sense of family that they need most. 
“We just want to embrace the youth here and make them part of a larger family,” said Barbara Carter, a residential specialist at Lighthouse Youth Sanctuary, a program for runaway and homeless youth.
Lighthouse offers shelter, essential services and meals. And on Thanksgiving, the meal is special, of course, created by Carter for the program’s young people.
“Some of the youth are able to go home to their families, but there are those that are left behind. And we try to create an environment here that makes kids feel at home,” she said.
She said the meal is a labor of love, as she’s been in this kitchen cooking since Monday. But she said, like any Thanksgiving dinner, it’s about more than what’s on the plate.
“We have a tradition of the youth telling us what they are thankful for on Thanksgiving before we have dinner,” said Carter. 
She said over the years the youth returned, feeling grateful for her and Lighthouse. 
“It means I’m making a difference,” Carter said.