Community members gathered to give thanks and eat a delicious meal in the Brown County High School cafeteria during the 40th annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner last week.
The past two years, the dinner has been served drive-thru style at Mother’s Cupboard Food Pantry because of COVID-19 restrictions, but the community finally was able to come together and gather in person.
Chris Henderson is a paramedic with Indiana University LifeLine and has been organizing this event with the community in mind for nearly two decades.
The Brown County EMT Association started the dinner 40 years ago. The association dissolved in 2018, but the dinners have carried on every year since thanks to volunteers who continue to show up, put on gloves, a hair net and dish out the classic Thanksgiving meal.
On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, guests were able to enjoy a hot meal, including turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy and a dinner roll.
There were also a variety of fruit pies and pumpkin pie, baked by Henderson.
In addition to dining in the high school, meals were also delivered to Hawthorne Hills and Willow Manor Senior Apartments.
For any proceeds and donations received that are not needed to pay for the dinner, Henderson said the plan is to try to give the remaining funds to the No Name Committee and the Shop With a Cop program, both of which help local children get new clothing for Christmas.
The Thanksgiving Dinner is a community-focused event, where any and all can gather and mingle for the holiday, as well as serve.
The Hammes family served meals for the first time this year.
Kara Hammes said that their normal family plans had shifted, and now that her and Clint’s daughters Bree, 7, and Ayla, 9, are old enough to help, they decided to join in and serve.
“We’re taking care of other people,” Bree said.
