Volunteers prepare for almost three-thousand person Community Thanksgiving Dinner

The Westby “Thanksgiving Day” community dinner will be served on Thursday, Nov. 24, from 11 a.m.to 1 p.m.in the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church basement, which is handicap accessible.

“We welcome anyone who needs a meal, to come and join us”, she said. “Everything is paid for”.

The church, located at 245 S. Raynolds Ave., is planning to host dinner there for the community from 4:30 p.m.to 6:30 p.m.

“Our words have always been that everyone is welcome, and at Thanksgiving we mean everyone”, said Roosevelt Daniel, a longtime deacon at Mount Prospect. “Holidays can be tough for families”, said Jessica Mauthe with the Arkansas Dream Center.

“Anyone from the community is welcome to volunteer”, said Goerhing. All baked turkeys must be returned to the church by 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Kevin Cadigan, who leads the kitchen staff at Otterbein UM, said volunteers range in age from 7 to 70.

“I spoke with a woman last year, and she said she’s been alone for seven years with no one to be around for Thanksgiving”, Schmitt said.

Town Councilor and church member Paul Champagne has been volunteering along with his grandchildren for the past four years that the meal has been held. “What greater time to come together and fellowship with each other”. Schmitt said they try to use as many volunteers as possible, as there are typically more people who want to help than there are tasks to be completed.

“It’s all pretty well organized, and it runs pretty smoothly”, Brenner said.

The dinner will include turkey, dressing, potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, salads and desserts.

“Pretty much everything is homemade”, Brenner said. “It may have started in rather small beginnings, but it has become a true thing of beauty I think”. “It’s hard to predict how much we’ll have this year”.

Volunteers also will be delivering Thanksgiving meals to those who are homebound.

“It’s not the Vineyard that’s doing this; it’s the community”, Sakamoto said. Last year’s freewill donations were more than $2,000. Roberson was among more than 100 people helped on Monday. Otterbein UM volunteers also peeled 50 pounds of potatoes.

A pair of feasts are planned with a common goal in mind: to get community members together to enjoy the holiday.

Ticket holders can arrange for meals to be delivered, or they can call in and make a reservation to eat at the church.