Barack Obama and wife Michelle serve Thanksgiving dinner to homeless veterans

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President and his family served up Thanksgiving dinner for homeless vets
Michelle, Sasha and Malia all joined him at the shelter in Washington DC
President told diners 'we appreciate you' and asked them 'how you been?'
Happened after the annual turkey pardoning ceremony at the White House
For more from the Obama family visit www.dailymail.co.uk/obama

By Julian Robinson for MailOnline and Nikki Schwab, U.s. Political Reporter For Dailymail.com

Published: 06:18 EST, 26 November 2015 | Updated: 12:46 EST, 26 November 2015

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Barack Obama thanked former servicemen before the First Family took time out to serve up Thanksgiving dinner for homeless veterans in Washington DC.

The President was joined by wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha as they visited the city's Friendship Place homeless center.

They served dinner to dozens of hungry vets as part of the 'Feast with Friends' event at the shelter, located in the basement of St Luke's Church.

Each family member took on a different task with Obama dishing up turkey and ladles of gravy, Michelle serving vegetables and their daughters giving out mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Scroll down for video

Barack Obama thanked former servicemen before the First Family took time out to serve up Thanksgiving dinner for homeless veterans in Washington DC

Barack Obama and his whole family were at the center to help dole out mash and turkey for Thanksgiving

The Obamas also visited Friendship Place homeless center in Washington D.C. on Wednesday

The President told diners 'we appreciate you' and asked one veteran, 'how you been?' and asking them whether they preferred to have white or dark turkey meat.

One tells Obama, 'You're doing a great job' before wishing him a happy holiday.

Earlier in the day, Obama had said: 'It's not only of the spirit of giving during this holiday season, but our national obligation to make sure all those who serve and sacrifice for our country have a place to call home.

'My administration considers this one of our top priorities, making sure that we're bringing about the reality of zero homelessness for our veterans.'

The Washington Post reports that the shelter received a $3.1million grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this year.

The funding was part of a White House drive to end homelessness among veterans

The family's appearance came after Sasha and Malia flanked their father for the annual turkey pardoning ceremony - and put on a happy face while he regaled the audience with dad jokes.

Michelle Obama looks on as her daughter Malia and husband President Barack Obama serve the veterans

US President Barack Obama serves Thanksgiving dinner to homeless military veterans as his daughter Malia looks on

The President told diners 'we appreciate you' and asked one veteran, 'how you been?' and asking them whether they preferred to have white or dark turkey meat

'It is hard to believe that this is my seventh year of pardoning a turkey,' the president told the crowd. 'Time flies, even if turkeys don't.'

The first daughters cracked a smile and giggled. 'That was good, that was good,' said Sasha Obama, who was wearing dark tortoise shell-rimmed glasses, the first time she has been seen in public with them.

'I thought it was pretty good,' the president said back. 'You think it's funny too, don't you?' he said pointing to an audience member.

It was just a year ago that the turkey pardoning ceremony led to the resignation of a Republican congressional aide who suggested that the Obama girls 'show ... a little class' when Sasha and Malia didn't show much interest in the ceremony.

This year the sisters giggled along with their dad throughout, as the president seemed downright giddy after the more serious statement he had to make at the White House this morning concerning the recent ISIS attacks in Paris and how the United States is dealing with the threat.

Sasha Obama (left) was wearing dark tortoise shell-rimmed glasses, the first time she has been seen in public with them. Malia Obama (right) giggled and smiled through today's turkey pardoning ceremony, after their demeanor at last year's event, and subsequent criticism, led to a GOP aide stepping down

Sasha Obama (left) especially enjoyed a moment during the ceremony when Abe the turkey interrupted her dad. Malia (right) also laughed

Another year of turkey pardoning, another year of dad jokes, but at least this year President Obama got Sasha (left) and Malia (right) to laugh - although not for long

The president seemed downright giddy after the more serious statement he had to make at the White House this morning concerning the recent ISIS attacks in Paris

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Cracks him up: The president doubled up with laughter at his own joke

Waiting for a reaction: Sasha seemed to be checking how the audience was dealing with her father's jokes. Both she and Malia were wearing outfits from American Apparel. Sasha was in the store's crop top and high-waist denim skirt, while her sister wore a striped short sleeve top

Yes I laughed: Malia acknowledged finding her dad's joke funny

President Obama thanked daughters Sasha (left) and Malia (right) for humoring him again this year by taking part in the turkey pardoning ceremony. 'They do this solely because it makes me feel better,' he said

Made you laugh: The president turned to his younger daughter to check she had gone for his laughter line too

Impressed: The Obama daughters were genuinely taken with their father's funny line

That joke's not a turkey: All three Obamas enjoy the president's gag

Remember when: Last year, the two sisters were far less into their father's lines

Both sisters were wearing outfits from American Apparel, Sasha in the store's crop top and high-waist denim skirt, and Malia in a striped short sleeve top. The elder Obama sister also dressed in a two-colored coat.

'Today I can announce that the American people have spoken and we have two winners, their names are Honest and Abe,' Obama said.

Every year, a turkey and an understudy are brought to Washington for the ceremony, with this year's birds coming in from California.

They're put up in the lavish Willard Hotel, just down the street from the White House, before being trotted off to Morven Park in Virginia to live out the rest of their often short lives.

Unfortunately for the birds, who are bred for eating, they're often too fat to spend much time living, and many don't make it to see the next Thanksgiving.

Case in point: of last year's two birds, Macaroni and Cheese, Cheese 'is still doing quite well,' a spokeswoman for Morven Park told Daily Mail Online, but Mac kicked the bucket in June.

Caramel, a bird from 2013, had been the longest living in recent years, but died about a month ago.

In on the show: President Obama waved his hands to pardon one of the birds, while his daughters watching in amusement. He was standing beside the man who helped raise them, Dr Jihad Douglas, chairman of the National Turkey Federation

We're enjoying this: Malia and Sasha share a grin as their father moves towards the turkey

He was interrupted by a gobble at first, but President Obama was eventually able to pardon Abe properly, outside the White House today

Someone's happy: Malia (right) waved in celebration as her father and Dr Jihad Douglas, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, clapped at the turkeys' pardon

All grown up: Sasha (left) and Malia (right) once again accompanied their father to the White House Rose Garden and stood by his side during the annual turkey pardon, a White House tradition

'OK, that was funny,' Sasha Obama said to her dad several times as he made jokes throughout today's White House turkey pardoning ceremony

Last year Sasha (pictured) and Malia were criticized for seeming too-cool-for-school at the pardoning ceremony, but this year the frowns were (mostly - left) replaced by smiles

Cracking up: Sasha gets into her father's jokes

'I'm going to publicly thank Malia (right) and Sasha for once again standing here with me during the turkey pardon,' Obama said today

Maila Obama grins at today's turkey pardoning ceremony in which her dad told a couple of 'dad jokes' and pardoned Abe the turkey

I'm laughing dad! All the family join in the smiles

I'll take that: President Obama celebrated getting his daughter to laugh - unlike last year's surlier looks

Leave the stage: The president escorted Sasha and Malia back inside after an upbeat performance

Acclaim: President Obama managed to get laughs from the auidence - and more importantly, and unusually, his daughters

'Abe is now a free bird, he is TOTUS, the turkey of the United States,' Obama proclaimed at today's White House ceremony.

Calling America a country of second chances, Obama explained that Abe would live his life comfortably on Morven Park's 1,000 acres, complete with a barn called the White House on Turkey Hill.

'Which actually sounds pretty good,' the president said.

'If for some reason Abe can't fulfill his duties to walk around and gobble all day, Honest is in an undisclosed location, ready to serve as the TOTUS in the TOTUS line of succession,' Obama explained.

A loud gobble then interrupted the president, causing Sasha Obama to start to laugh.

'OK, that was funny,' she said.

Abe got to romp through the White House Rose Garden before being officially pardoned by President Obama this afternoon in a 'silly' ceremony, according to the president

Cheese, last year's pardoned turkey, is currently the only living presidential turkey at Morven Park, as most of the birds are so fat that they don't live more than a year or two after participating in the ceremony

And that's a wrap: Abe and his understudy Honest will head to Morven Park after today's pardon to live out the rest of their short lives

Good day out: Both the Obama girls enjoyed their time watching the turkeys being pardoned

Nailed it: President Obama heads back to the Oval Office celebrating making his teenage daughters laugh

Back to work: The president headed inside while his daughters went ahead of him

The president then took a brief moment to acknowledge his teenage daughters.

'I'm going to publicly thank Malia and Sasha for once again standing here with me during the turkey pardon,' Obama said. 'They do this solely because it makes me feel better. Not because they actually think that this is something that I should be doing.'

The president said as he's gotten older 'you appreciate when your kids just indulge you like this.'

Obama also acknowledged he was thankful that the turkey pardoning ceremony, as 'silly' as it is, gave him an opportunity to wish Americans a happy Thanksgiving.

'I'm also grateful for the fact that the Bears are going to beat the Packers this weekend,' he said.

And with that, he stepped down from his podium, and tried to pardon Abe, who gave out a loud gobble.

'Don't interrupt,' the president said to the bird, before waving his hand over the large turkey and then leading his daughters back into the White House.