Free Thanksgiving Meals Fill Need

Whether due to lack of money or lack of family, there are some in Van Zandt County who have no place to go, perhaps no food, for a Thanksgiving Day meal on Thursday.

"I know there are people in that situation," Shawn Cowgill, executive pastor of Driven Life Church in Canton, said. Driven Life Church is hosting one of several open and free Thanksgiving Day meals in the county.

Cowgill said it might surprise some just how many people would go without a traditional Thanksgiving meal if not for a community effort like the one his church is hosting at the Myrtle Springs Community Center (the old schoolhouse) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

"There are a lot of people like that, and one thing I’ve found with our people is they don’t necessarily want to tell someone," he said. "Nobody really wants to say ‘Hey, I’m alone,’ and even if they could find a place open, a lot of them do not have the money to spend to go out for dinner, especially in the economy right now…

"A whole lot of people are out of work or have had their jobs cut in half. We’re putting together a free dinner and I expect a lot of people will be over because they are out of work right now," Cowgill added.

Driven Life Church took over this year a similar effort that had been organized by First Baptist Church in Myrtle Springs in previous years. Cowgill said he talked extensively with First Baptist leaders about tips for planning and preparation for the meal.

"We’ve actually increased the food amount. We were told to plan for up to 150, but we will have enough food to feed almost double that, and we have a place to donate the leftovers, if needed," he said.

Driven Life members have volunteered to provide turkey, dressing or other dishes as well as to help on the day of the meal, Cowgill added.

"We’ve just asked them to bring it up here and prep it…really the planning is much like a potluck dinner, just on a bigger scale," he said.

For the members of First United Methodist Church in Grand Saline, their free Thanksgiving meal effort is something they look forward to each year, according to church secretary Dolores Means.

"People in our church family furnish it all. We have lists at the church office and they sign up to provide turkeys, rolls, green beans, pies, and it always all comes together," she said.

About 40 people volunteer on Thanksgiving Day to prepare the meals, Means said. In addition to welcoming people into the church to share the meal, they also deliver about 50 meals to homes in the Grand Saline area.

"We have kind of an assembly line of people who prepare them all with the person’s name, address, phone number and the number of meals they have requested," Means said. "Then we have several people deliver those meals around 11:30."

The Thanksgiving meal at the church usually begins around noon, she added.

"There is probably 60-70 that eat up here," Means said. "Some people come and work and then when they feel they have done all they can, they will go home to be with their families.

"But we do have some who will stay and eat with us. We eat around noon or shortly thereafter and we are here until about 2 (p.m.) or 2:30 to clean up," she added.

Means said she feels the annual effort makes a huge impact on the community.

"I just know people who have always been very thankful for the outreach we have, so many here look forward to it," she said. "I have already had so many people who called and asked if we are going to do it again, and I say we are and they will turn their order in.

"I think the way the economy is this year makes you feel more aware of how you are helping people," Means said.

Grand Saline area residents can continue to place meal orders through Tuesday by calling the church office at (903) 962-3151.

Deby Frye, a Wills Point City Council member and site director for the Meals on Wheels program in the city, has organized a free Thanksgiving meal at Lester House from noon to 3:30 p.m.

Alongside serving a meal, the volunteer effort "just provides a place where people who don’t have any place to be can be for Thanksgiving," Frye said.

Several local businesses, city officials and employees, and other individuals have donated toward the meal or are volunteering to help serve it.

Frye said the idea has been on her mind for some time.

"I cook for four days for Thanksgiving with my family and have 200 pounds of food left over, and to know that there is somebody somewhere who just made a bologna sandwich because they had no Thanksgiving meal to share, it made me sad. So, we finally just got it together and here we are," she said about planning the event.

Although she expects many senior citizens to take part, Frye said the meal is open to anybody. She said that between 40 and 50 people had indicated as of Wednesday they would attend and there will be enough food to handle double that number.

Lester House will provide a nice setting, Frye said.

"Lester House is a very family-friendly setting, a nice homey sort of place," she said. "…I do expect a lot of seniors in the community who don’t have family around for the holiday and the shut-ins who can get a ride.

"But some of the (Wills Point) firemen and police officers plan on coming by, too," Frye added.

While providing a meal and a place to gather are reason enough for Frye, the impact of the current economic slump on family holiday gatherings is certain to be seen, she said.

"The reason for doing this also has a lot to do with the recession, which, to be honest, did not hit us (Texas) until late (this year)," Frye said. "But I know we are going to have people who normally would have no problem doing a Thanksgiving dinner, but maybe are not being able to do so this year because they are out of work or have taken a cut in work."

She encourages anyone who would like to volunteer to help with the event to contact her at the Wills Point Community Center at (903) 873-3697, or cell phone (972) 571-1046.