By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Tucker County’s Community Thanksgiving held each year at the Tucker County Senior Citizens Center in Parsons will celebrate its 19th year of meals this Thanksgiving Day.
Organizer Carol Precht said that her daughter, Roxanne, organized the first Community Thanksgiving 19 years ago. “She heard a sermon one time about feeding the poor and she said, ‘We have to do something,” Precht said.
The meal has grown from serving around 100 the first year to around 560 last year, with many families, Precht said. One year, over 600 meals were served.
“We enjoy doing it. Its a lot of work, but its a lot of fun,” Precht said.
The Thanksgiving is manned entirely by volunteers. Precht said that it takes around 60 to 65 volunteers to man the meal. Several churches get involved to help. Precht said that planning for the Thanksgiving meal begins as early as July each year.
“We couldn’t do it without all the volunteers,” Precht said.
The Thanksgiving also delivers meals to those who cannot get out to the Senior Center to attend. Many shut-in and elderly residents take are served by the delivery option in the community. Last year, Precht said that around 300 meals were delivered, all by volunteers.
This year, 60 turkeys have been procured for preparation to be served at the meal. Precht said that while it is a lot of work preparing and serving all the food, it is a lot of fun, as well. However, Precht did say she did not want to see another turkey until next year.
