Members of Forest United Methodist Church will gather Thursday in service to help the less fortunate in the community with providing its traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Now in its 14th year, the Thanksgiving meal will be served from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., or until the food runs out in the church’s family life center.
Pastor David Slaughter said this will be his first year to be part of the event that averages feeding between 500 and 600 meals each year. The meals are served on site as volunteers wait tables and plates are delivered out into the community to first responders that are working on Thanksgiving Day.
“This is one of the events I have looked forward to since becoming pastor here at FUMC,” Slaughter said. “This is a wonderful community outreach and our church and numerous volunteers come together to make this happen each year.
Preparations began more than a week ago in planning for the program as delivery boxes were prepared, a mountain of supplies were organized and Jane Tadlock began cooking preparations. On Thursday, hours before the doors open, volunteers will gather to prepare hundreds of “to go” boxes that will be delivered to area first responders, prisoners, patients and others who are not able to come to the church because they are working or shut-in.
As soon as the delivery volunteers leave, other volunteers will fill the space as servers and greeters, young and old, in preparation of welcoming the community for the dine-in segment of the program. Individuals and families who do not already have plans of their own are encouraged to share a Thanksgiving meal with the church members and others in the community.
Co-Hospitality Chairperson Martha Graham said they will have at least 15 volunteers working come Thursday and look for this years meal to be as big as ever.
Co-Hospitality Chairperson Jane Tadlock, started the meal as an outreach project staffed by her family, and over the years more and more church members have become involved. The program, which also includes a Christmas meal, is funded completely on donations and most donations are given anonymously.
“This has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done,” Tadlock said. “We take care of anyone that comes in and this is a non-denominational community outreach project.”
“I want to make sure that it is known that this was all Jane’s idea and without here drive to make this happen we would not be celebrating our 14th year feeding the community,” Graham said.
One of the special features of the program is the annual guessing of the mysterious donor, a man who significantly contributes support every year for the program, but only Tadlock and Graham knows his identity as that is the way he wants it.
“This all started because our major donor was looking for some help one holidays and he happened upon us,” said Tadlock. “Since that time we have been very blessed to have his absolute support to continue feeding the community on Thanksgiving.”
“We were able to help this kind and selfless man during the holidays and he has absolutely paid it back ten-fold and then some,” Graham said.
This Thanksgiving meal is about helping the less fortunate in the community, but it is not all about money. “This meal doesn’t have anything to do with money, we invite anyone who may be hungry and would just like to eat while visiting with others,” said Tadlock. “This is all about our community.”
For more information call 601-469-2604.
