As it turned out, it was the first out of 20 Thanksgivings in which Goldstein and her daughter, Dara Laski, have volunteered at the annual event

"There was no one really in charge of things outside the kitchen, so I became in charge of decorations and seating, etc.," Goldstein said. "I'm not even sure we even had tablecloths those first years."

A couple years after that 1987 Thanksgiving, Goldstein and Laski, no strangers to volunteering their time, captained the annual community meals, soliciting donations, interfacing with community groups and waking up at 5 a.m. each Thanksgiving to cook one of the many donated turkey breasts.

The mother-daughter duo got involved in the annual Thankgiving event at the center for a community project with West Valley PALS and the Woodland Hills Optimist Club.

Laski was 19, and a couple years later, the person who originally ran the event had children, and wanted to spend the big day with his family.

"I said, 'I'll take it over for one year until we find someone to take it over,'" said Laski, who now works in the insurance industry.

The pair might have given it up a year or two later, but their style is all about having that family feeling - not like the walk-through Thanksgiving meals found at missions in downtown Los Angeles.

"We tell everyone that this is the feel that we want: We don't have any room in our home, so we're inviting everyone to the Guadalupe Community Center,'" said Goldstein, who used to run a real estate appraisal company firm. "And that's how we want them to feel - like they are guests at our home."

The annual Thanksgiving celebration at the Guadalupe Community Center in Canoga Park, a social service center run by Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, has grown from 200 to 1,500 over 20 years, and the volunteering mother-daughter duo have been there each year.

The community event serves the less-fortunate, those that may be new to the Thanksgiving holiday and others who may not have anyone to celebrate the holiday with.

Laski estimates that 2006's Thanksgiving community event served up 400 lbs. of Turkey breast.

The West Hills residents could recall only a couple times the forces of nature attempted to ruin Thanksgiving. Over 19 years, one year had a little drizzle, and another saw the notorious Santa Ana winds.

"It just ripped the table settings to shreds, but everybody was fine with the meal. Nobody lost any turkey," Goldstein said.

The Thanksgiving Day dinner at the Guadalupe Community Center runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 22. Guadalupe Community Center is located at 21600 Hart Street in Canoga Park and can be reached by calling (818) 340-2050.