This year's Community Thanksgiving Dinner served 1,310 plates to senior citizens and others in need on Thanksgiving Day to residents in the cities of Blytheville, Gosnell, Osceola and Leachville. Event spokesman, Aaron Brassfield, said 2015 was their biggest year, not in plates served, but in households served.
Approximately 25-30 plates were served for dine-in meals at the Blytheville Senior Center located at 1101 David Lane. Additionally, another 110 plates were "picked up and carried out" from the same location. About 850 plates were delivered to homes in the Blytheville/Gosnell city limits alone and the remainder (approximately 325 plates) were delivered to residents of Osceola and Leachville.
"We also had more volunteers [this year] than ever. There were about 55 volunteers this year, not including the volunteers in Osceola and Leachville. I don't know how many they had," Brassfield said.
Brassfield said that h.i.s. Ministries oversees and organizes the event each year, but that it is made up of various churches, civil groups, individuals and sororities, so no one person or group can take credit.
"The people that put this together are from all walks of life across the city and county," Brassfield said, "Volunteers from all aspect of our county and of life came tougher to do something wonderful for our community."
The majority of the names they receive come from the Meals on Wheels program. They also team up with the Food Pantry, several churches, civic groups, and even individuals that help them identify those that need a meal.
"This year we had more than normal, senior or older people, that lost a spouse or children that normally cooked for them and they were by themselves...many of those that dined in were like that...we also had several volunteers in their forties and fifties that had a spouse pass away or their kids were unable to come and so they decided to volunteer and help others," Brassfield explained.
Those served received a slice of ham, homemade chicken and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, a roll and a small piece of cake. Brassfield said that they ran out of food by 12:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon. He also described how one lady, a caterer formerly of Blytheville and now living in Louisiana, is so dedicated to the success of the program that she made up 44 pans of homemade chicken and dressing and delivered them Tuesday evening for the event.
"I was overly grateful and inspired by how many people in the city and county showed up and helped," Brassfield said.
Plans are already underway for next year. Brassfield said that this year they met a number of people in Luxora, Manila and other parts of the county that want to partner with them next year to serve even more households.
thenry@blythevillecourier.com