A peaceful Ferguson has come together to celebrate Thanksgiving and recover from violent protests that erupted when a police officer was not charged in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager.
Armed National Guard troops and humvees with US flags hoisted on their antennae at the shopping mall and boarded-up stores were the only outward sign of the turbulence of recent days.
There were no protesters or police on the streets of the St Louis suburb, which reeled from Monday's decision by a Missouri grand jury not to charge a white policeman who shot dead 18-year-old Michael Brown on August 9.
Residents kept out of the cold, spending the holiday with friends and family, attending church services and beautifying boarded-up stores.
"I believe God enough to know we will rebuild," said Reverend Carlton Lee, the pastor at Flood Christian Church, which was burnt beyond repair during the violence on Monday.
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Sunday service will be held in a heated tent in the parking lot, and the church, where Brown's father reportedly worshipped, set up an online appeal for $50,000 to rebuild.
Wellspring offered a free traditional Thanksgiving lunch of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and pumpkin pie to members of the community and a diverse group of Christians from nearby parishes who came to express support.
"We do this every year but right now with the Ferguson unrest, it just brings the community together," said volunteer server Rhonda Johnson.
Anger over the grand jury verdict and Brown's killing is still palpable, and protesters have vowed to continue demonstrating until justice is served.
Many say they can never accept the grand jury decision that officer Darren Wilson shot Brown in lawful self-defence after an altercation. In total, 12 shots were fired.
