Topeka group prepares for free community Thanksgiving meal

TOPEKA (KSNT) - The holiday about community and giving thanks is almost here and one local group is offering people a place to share a free meal.

The camaraderie that many people feel on Thanksgiving is on full display during the local Community Thanksgiving Dinner.

"It's amazing the volunteers you meet over the years through the community and how great our community is when you help with a function like this," said Board Secretary Tricia Morgan. "It's becoming a tradition for so many."

The organization prepares all of the food in the days leading up to the meal, but by noon on Thanksgiving, food is on the table.

"We actually have volunteers starting on Monday of Thanksgiving week, in the kitchen all week long because cooking a meal for 2,700 people takes a while," said Vice President Beth Kensinger. "So, we're doing kitchen prep all week. Slicing turkey, putting green beans and sweet potatoes and things like that into trays and getting them ready to bake on Thanksgiving day."

Even if you can't make it out to the dinner, volunteers have you covered.

"Drivers can make plans to come to the Stormont Vail Events Center on the day of Thanksgiving and take meals out to the community," said Driver Coordinator Valerie Thornburg. "And, so we have to identify those drivers and then identify the people who need deliveries made that day."

Organizers say they collect enough food to make about 3,000 meals. Anything they don't uses goes to local food banks. To learn more about this community dinner, click here.

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