EATON — Over 700 meals were provided to people in Preble County who might not have had a hot nutritious dinner on Thanksgiving Day, with the help of dedicated volunteers who helped make the 21st annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner possible.
It’s not just about the food for many. The dinner also allows families and individuals to enjoy the fellowship of others as the holiday season kicks off.
Volunteers served a traditional Thanksgiving meal consisting of turkey, ham, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce, applesauce and pumpkin pie.
Served at Bruner Arena on the Preble County Fairgrounds each year, the meal is reliant about donations and volunteers to help feed those who need a place to go and a meal for which to give thanks on Thanksgiving.
“I want to make sure we get the point across how much community support we have for this program,” Preble County Community Action Partnership’s Janelle Caron said after the event on Thursday, Nov. 24.
“We had about 100 volunteers this year to assist with everything from preparing the meals to delivering them, clean up, serving, etc. We delivered 175 meals and close to 550 meals were served at the event,” Caron added.
“This community event is made possible by the donations from Preble County residents and corporations within the community — and of course the generous volunteers,” Caron said.
“Preble County always pulls together to make this event a successful one. I am always impressed by the thoughtfulness of this county and proud to be a part of this caring community,” she added.
The thank yous are bountiful.
“I would like to thank all of the volunteers and donors this year — without them this would not have been possible,” Caron said. The Preble County Fairgrounds generously allows us to use their building and Henny Penny cooks the turkeys for us. The Preble County Pork Festival allowed the use of a convection oven as well.
“I would also like to give a big thanks to Diane Perry for heading up the kitchen and assisting with planning and Roy Kouts for organizing and assisting with whatever was necessary,” Caron added. “These two have been a great asset to organizing this event.”
