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Senior Dee Cabrera, 17, of Stratford, carves a turkey for guests at the annual Thanksgiving luncheon for the needy at Platt Technical High School in Milford.

MILFORD -- Thanksgiving dinner came a week early for Steven Paul Grant.

Grant was among roughly 100 people who enjoyed free turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and more Thursday at Platt Technical High School. He won't have another Thanksgiving celebration this year.

"I got no family," said the middle-aged Milford resident, who works at ShopRite.

Grant said he has no one left since his parents died decades ago. He comes to Platt for the dinner each year, if his work schedule allows it.

As he dined with four friends in Platt's culinary arts dining room, he said the dinner was a welcome chance "to be around people "¦ instead of being all by myself all the time."

Bob MacGregor, who sat next to Grant and also lives in Milford, said he plans to return next year: "It was very tasty."

Platt's culinary arts students and teachers have prepared and served the dinner for 20 years to needy people from the Beth-El Center homeless shelter; Bridges, a city-based mental health provider and the Milford Senior Center, said school spokesman Tony Tom.

It was funded this year by donations from the Milford Chamber of Commerce, Costco and Restaurant Depot.

Typically, students serve 70 to 100 people, he said, estimating that about 120 came this year.

"The cooks "¦ predicted that this would be our biggest year ever and it is," Tom said. "Times are tough."

Students who were pouring drinks and busing

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tables said they enjoyed participating.

The diners "actually have somewhere to eat and look forward to Thanksgiving," said senior Samantha Muttick, 18, who plans to become a paramedic. "We're helping them. It's a good feeling inside, knowing that."

Senior Tom Maselli, 18, agreed. "I made a couple of dishes for two ladies who couldn't get them," he said, adding that he -- an aspiring sportscaster -- enjoyed talking sports with visitors.

A table of women from the Milford Senior Center raved about the event.

"The children here are so courteous," said 95-year-old Jane Civitelli, who enjoyed the dinner last year, too. "You couldn't ask for nicer kids. They deserve a lot of credit."

Tom said the school started the meal in an effort to get students more involved in community service, and kids have responded well, also participating in a canned food drive for the Milford Food Bank during the holiday season.

Last year, he said, Platt donated 17,000 items to the food bank.