Published: November 12, 2009 07:46 pm      

Central Christian Church hosting Community Thanksgiving dinner

By KANDACE MCCOY

kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Central Christian Church will continue its tradition of the past dozen years by offering its annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 26.

The dinner was originally started by a local physician, according to information from the church, and fed about 100 people. The event has continued to grow, and last year, approximately 1,200 people benefited from the dinner. Now in its 13th year, the dinner is expected to serve more than 1,500 community members.

“It’s amazing,” said organizer Steve Reynolds of the event’s growth. “The thing we want to make sure people do is to realize they don’t have to be alone — they don’t have to spend Thanksgiving without a meal or a place to go.”

The dinner will consist of traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, dressing, vegetables, hot rolls and pie. Last year the church received an anonymous donation of four to five bushels of sweet potatoes by a man dubbed “Tater Man.” According to the church, Tater Man will be donating bushels again this year.

“We’re anticipating 1,500 this year and we’ve also spread our wings where we’ll be doing the same activity in Centralia this year,” Reynolds said. “We expect to serve (an additional) 200 people in Centralia on Thanksgiving Day as well. ... We will also be offering transportation to the church, but those who need a ride need to call the church ahead of time. We’ll pick them up, feed them a good meal, give them some warm clothing and deliver them home.”

The dinner is in conjunction with the church’s annual clothing drive, Reynolds said. Coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, hats and gloves will be given away at the dinner. The church is also accepting gently used winter items at its office.

More than 175 people volunteered with the dinner last year, and Reynolds said volunteers are always needed.

“We do this on donations,” he said. “The excitement is, every year it just keeps getting better. It takes everyone to make it a success.”

Central Christian Church Pastor Randy Sells stressed that the dinner is “not just for people who can’t afford to cook a Thanksgiving dinner. We believe that no one should spend the holidays alone. This is just one way our church tries to minister to the community.”

The church will also be delivering meals to homebound residents, information states. However, they must be referred by a church, minister or other agency. All referrals must be received by Wednesday, Nov. 25 and can be made by calling the church at 242-4185.

For more information, to donate or to volunteer, you may contact the church.