November 29, 2019 at 6:53 p.m.
Hundreds served
Volunteers make feast that includes 32 turkeys with meals delivered to over 450 home-bound
Hundreds served
Everyone knows you should count your blessings on Thanksgiving.
But how do you quantify an event like the annual community Thanksgiving dinner?
No matter how you figure it, the numbers are staggering.
How many turkeys were cooked?
Thirty-two, cooked in 16 ovens in the homes of volunteers then given the finishing touch in two ovens in the basement kitchen of Asbury Methodist Church in Portland.
How many meals were prepared?
More than 450 were delivered to the home-bound Thursday. The tables in the Asbury basement were set for 259 guests. The final tally: 700.
About 15 volunteers were involved in delivering home-bound meals to every corner of Jay County. Dozens more were involved in preparing those meals and getting the feast ready for the crowd at Asbury.
And that doesn’t count the dishes prepared at home and delivered as carry-in for the occasion.
“We can’t keep track of those,” said longtime dinner volunteer and spokesperson Carol Smith.
Marking its 29th year, the community Thanksgiving dinner now involves 11 local churches, including Asbury.
Some of the food is prepared on-site, and some is brought in, like those countless green bean casseroles.
Dressing has to be produced on-site for health reasons, though volunteers bring in the ingredients. So, how much dressing? Twelve steam-table pans full to the brim.
For the home delivery meals, the carry-in casseroles won’t do, again for health reasons.
Instead, it’s just plain green beans. Lots and lots of green beans: Two cases of industrial-sized cans were used just for the home delivery part of the event.
Paul and Helen Martin head up the cooking portion of the event, while other volunteers keep track of requests for home-bound meals and make sure the delivery volunteers have what they need and know where they’re going.
The number of carry-in pies can vary, but Smith estimates it’s about 50.
About 10 gallons of lemonade were consumed at Asbury on Thursday, and the coffee supply was unlimited.
And how long does it take to clean all this up?
Smith said it’s about a three-hour process, and volunteers are always needed for that part of the event.
Mark your calendar for next year.
But how do you quantify an event like the annual community Thanksgiving dinner?
No matter how you figure it, the numbers are staggering.
How many turkeys were cooked?
Thirty-two, cooked in 16 ovens in the homes of volunteers then given the finishing touch in two ovens in the basement kitchen of Asbury Methodist Church in Portland.
How many meals were prepared?
More than 450 were delivered to the home-bound Thursday. The tables in the Asbury basement were set for 259 guests. The final tally: 700.
About 15 volunteers were involved in delivering home-bound meals to every corner of Jay County. Dozens more were involved in preparing those meals and getting the feast ready for the crowd at Asbury.
And that doesn’t count the dishes prepared at home and delivered as carry-in for the occasion.
“We can’t keep track of those,” said longtime dinner volunteer and spokesperson Carol Smith.
Marking its 29th year, the community Thanksgiving dinner now involves 11 local churches, including Asbury.
Some of the food is prepared on-site, and some is brought in, like those countless green bean casseroles.
Dressing has to be produced on-site for health reasons, though volunteers bring in the ingredients. So, how much dressing? Twelve steam-table pans full to the brim.
For the home delivery meals, the carry-in casseroles won’t do, again for health reasons.
Instead, it’s just plain green beans. Lots and lots of green beans: Two cases of industrial-sized cans were used just for the home delivery part of the event.
Paul and Helen Martin head up the cooking portion of the event, while other volunteers keep track of requests for home-bound meals and make sure the delivery volunteers have what they need and know where they’re going.
The number of carry-in pies can vary, but Smith estimates it’s about 50.
About 10 gallons of lemonade were consumed at Asbury on Thursday, and the coffee supply was unlimited.
And how long does it take to clean all this up?
Smith said it’s about a three-hour process, and volunteers are always needed for that part of the event.
Mark your calendar for next year.
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