Supermodel Cindy Crawford and actress Jennifer Love Hewitt were among the celebrities rolling up their sleeves helping the Los Angeles Mission serve up its annual Thanksgiving meal to the homeless.

Crawford, 42, was joined by husband Rande Gerber and their children Presley, nine, and Kaia, seven.

"We do things all throughout the year with our different charities," she said. "But, I thought this is a super interactive one where my kids get to hand my plate of food to someone who is so happy to have it.

"I think that exchange really sets the tone for our family as to what Thanksgiving should really be about."

Love Hewitt was accompanied by her fiance Ross McCall and described the Los Angeles Mission as an "amazing place".

"We are really fortunate to come down here and help out and it is humanity at its best. We are all trying to do the same thing," she said.

Acting legend Kirk Douglas, 91, and his wife, Anne were again hosts for the annual holiday meal.

The event itself is was massive undertaking, with planning for it taking up to three months. This year's dinner took on added importance as a result of the struggling economy.

The Los Angeles Mission had said it expected to serve up more than 3,000 meals on the day.

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