WORCESTER, Mass. - The Bishop of Worcester is resuming a holiday tradition by hosting a sit down Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. 

The meals are provided and delivered by Catholic Charities of Worcester County (CCWC). On Wednesday, volunteers prepared more than 3,000 meal bags. 

Last year, they saw a 55% increase in requests for meals and provided more than 6,000 home delivered dinners.

The organization is thanking the nearly 500 volunteers for making the day possible.

"Some of (the volunteers), it’s a family tradition. They start when their kids are very small and now their kids bring their own kids,” Carol Lafalam, director of human resources for CCWC, said. “It's something that is so important and we just adore our volunteers. We couldn't do it without them."

This year, the sit down dinner will be at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in downtown Worcester. 

Volunteers will start delivering meals on Thursday morning to homebound elders, individuals with disabilities and others who might not otherwise get a holiday meal.