Jobless since February, Thomas Rioux was thankful yesterday to have a free hot turkey meal and the company of hundreds of other people, some down on their luck economically like him.

"I can't buy my own turkey," said Rioux, 43, an air conditioning and heating technician who was laid off from his job in California and moved to Hawai'i in hopes of finding work.

Rioux joined more than 2,000 other people to eat turkey, share fellowship and listen to entertainers at the 39th annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Dinner at Neal Blaisdell Center.

Yesterday's crowd was up from the roughly 1,800 who were fed last year, according to Daniel de Castro, a Salvation Army spokesman.

The larger crowd was partly a reflection of the tough economic times, with local companies cutting back, people losing their jobs and the ranks of the homeless growing, he said.

"It's definitely an indication that more families are hurting out there," de Castro said.

Other organizations that gave free meals to the needy yesterday also said that more people came to their events because of the economy. River of Life Mission served more than 900 meals, compared with the 700 it typically hands out on Thanksgiving, according to spokeswoman Davi Teves. About 400 were delivered to nursing homes.

"We have more people because of the times," Teves said.

Also among those helping out yesterday were Lanakila Meals on Wheels, which delivered 800 hot Thanksgiving meals and all the trimmings to more than 800 homebound seniors island-wide, and the Institute for Human Services, where stacks of donated canned goods were available at the Women's and Family Shelter.

At the Blaisdell, roughly 800 volunteers helped prepare and serve about 900 pounds of turkey, 500 pounds of stuffing, 300 pumpkin pies and an assortment of other foods, all donated for the event.

Rioux, who previously lived here in the early '90s, said he was grateful to the Salvation Army and the volunteers for helping those in need.

"They definitely deserve great praise," he said.

Since returning in February, Rioux said he has sent out many resumes to construction and manufacturing companies. So far, nothing has panned out.

"It's hard," he said. "It's very competitive. But I just do the best I can."

At least for yesterday, Rioux put aside his economic worries to partake in the free food and entertainment and to celebrate with people like Beverly Moniz, a Nänäkuli resident who attends the Salvation Army event every year.

Moniz, 65, rode the bus into town with a friend and her friend's grandchildren. A homemaker and church volunteer, Moniz said she is a regular at the event because she likes being part of the Salvation Army 'ohana.

"They always make people happy," she said. "You can see it in the faces of so many smiling people."

Postal worker Martin Hee, 59, also came to the Blaisdell for the fellowship, saying he enjoys seeing the homeless and others being helped on Thanksgiving.

"It doesn't get any better than this," Hee said.