The Holts Summit Soup Kitchen shared its Thanksgiving meal Nov. 15, a week ahead of the holiday. The kitchen celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas with the community a week early every year because it is closed on the holidays.
It was one of many Jefferson City-area Thanksgiving meals that are to take place this year.
The meals are at the Holts Summit Civic Center, said Mary Steck, who is a coordinator for the soup kitchen, which has operated about 10 years.
"We've always done free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners," Steck said. "We have some families, but it's a lot of elderly people, a lot of single people."
Darrell Brauner, who works in the dining room during the meals, said on holidays, the center seats about 80 people and serves another 20 who take their meals with them.
The Nov. 15 meal consisted of five donated turkeys, 10 donated Burgers Smokehouse smoked turkey breasts and all the trimmings for a classic meal. Brauner added he had nothing to do with preparation of the food.
"Mary makes sure I stay out of the kitchen," he added.
There are many more opportunities to celebrate Thanksgiving locally.
Today
St. Peter Catholic Church is hosting the World Day of the Poor dinner, intended to be a chance for poor or hungry members of the community to receive a meal and to get to know each other, Betty Schrimpf said. It is the second year for the event, and it's not a typical Thanksgiving meal. The Knights of Columbus is preparing the main course - enough pulled pork sandwiches for 350-400 people.
"We're not only feeding bodies; we're trying to feed souls with fellowship," Schrimpf said. "It's something Pope Francis asked us for last year as a way of recognizing the poor in the world - not just money, but poor in spirit."
The event is to begin at 1 p.m., with a social hour featuring soft drinks and fellowship. Dinner is from 2-4 p.m.
Parishioners are asked to attend and bring a dish to share with others during the afternoon meal.
Organizers have distributed fliers around the community - in businesses located in the middle and eastern neighborhoods of Jefferson City where disadvantaged people may go - to let them know about the dinner.
This year, the church has an agreement with the Trolley Company to provide rides between St. Peter and Dulle-Hamilton Towers. Organizers hope that will increase participation in the event, Schrimpf said.
The church will have a table at the dinner where people will be able to take hats, gloves, scarves or whatever else they may like, she said. St. Peter Interparish School children are putting together "goodie bags" for younger people who might attend.
"I think it will be a full three hours and everybody will go away happy," Schrimpf said.
On Thanksgiving
Community meals will begin at 11 a.m.
A service and free community dinner at New Bloomfield United Methodist Church, 323 Redwood Drive, is expected to attract about 140 people. It also is a mission that delivers meals to dozens of people in and near Jefferson City, according to Tom Levin, who volunteers to help during the Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner will last until about 2 p.m.
The effort takes a community, he said. People involved will cook seven to eight turkeys, three or four hams, about 35 pounds of potatoes, 25 pounds of corn, rolls, desserts, fixings and "tons of sweet potatoes," Levin said.
"I do a lot of cooking," Levin said. "A whole bunch of people from the church cook. A lot of them do it at the church. Some do it at home and bring it in."
Some church members deliver meals to Timbrook House - a New Bloomfield living facility for developmentally disabled adults - and other homes.
One woman calls Levin up every year and asks for 20 meals to be delivered to her family, he said. Another man calls and requests 10-11 meals each year.
"People come and eat. They sit and visit. They play games and cards," he said. "It's meant to be a place where people who don't have a place, or somebody else, can come by and get together."
This will be the 27th year First Baptist Church has provided a free Thanksgiving meal for the community, said Lori Hodges, a volunteer with the event.
"We invite families to come in," Hodges said. "If you can't come in, call ahead and we'll do deliveries."
The number to call is 573-634-3603.
Between serving dinners at the church and conducting deliveries, the church anticipates providing some 600 meals within the community. The Baptist church provides meals to police and fire departments and other public services where people work over the holiday.
"It's a lively place. It's our gift to the community," Hodges said.
Cargill, an international food and agriculture company with a plant in California, Missouri, donated 35 turkeys this year to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 1206 E. McCarty St., possibly the largest free Thanksgiving meal provider in Jefferson City, Audrey Kauffman said.
Even with those 35 birds, the church is going to have to come up with about 10 more turkeys, Kauffman said.
"(The donation) is huge for us," she said. "It will make this year much easier."
Immaculate Conception will serve a holiday meal from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Kertz Hall.
Meals will be delivered until 4 p.m. Registration for meal delivery or pickup ends Tuesday. Last year, of the 1,200 meals the church prepared, 800-900 were delivered. To ease pressure on delivery volunteers, people who can register and pick up their own meals are asked to do so. To register for meals, call 573-635-6143.
A lot of folks go to the church for the dinner. Please also call for reservations if you think you'll be dining in the church.
"If somebody came to the door and wanted a meal, we would not turn them away," Kauffman said.
The church has provided the holiday dinners for more than a decade.
Kauffman said organizers tried to find vans or other ways of taking people to the church, but weren't very successful.
"I asked if they minded if I catered Thanksgiving at the (Dulle-Hamilton) Towers. They have a space downstairs," she said. "Last year, we served 125-150 at the towers."
Mike Henry, past commander at the American Legion Post 5, 1423 Tanner Bridge Road, said the hall has offered Thanksgiving dinners for about 10 years. This year, the dinner is noon-2 p.m. Deliveries will begin at 11 a.m.
The annual dinner benefits the post. The meals cost $12 for those ages 11 and older, and $6 for children ages 5-10.
"We usually serve about 300 people. We've had a pretty good following over the years," Henry said. "A lot of families get together and come here, where they can sit back and relax and have a good time."
Many of the folks who attend the dinner simply don't want to prepare a meal at home because of the hassle and cleanup.
The legion will have college football playing on televisions.
"People have gotten used to coming out here and enjoying the afternoon. They enjoy being with their families and don't have to break their backsides to do it," Henry said.
For information about the dinner or to ask for delivery, call 573-636-2311.
The Salvation Army Center of Hope, 927 Jefferson St., will offer two Thanksgiving meals Thursday, the first from 1-3:30 p.m. and the second - after volunteers clean up and take a short break - from 5-6:30 p.m., Center of Hope Director Brian Vogeler said.
Each meal will probably serve 100-150 people.
"We are still looking for volunteers and for supplies for that. We need everything - from turkeys to ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes and vegetables," he said.
The center is offering the meal two times so people who are working or may not have family that they can go to during the holiday will have an extra chance to participate, Vogeler said.
On Thursday, the local Salvation Army chapter will make deliveries to those who can't make it to the center. Deliveries can be arranged by calling 573-635-1975.
Thanksgiving at the center is like the holiday at somebody's home, he said. Volunteers will serve pies and desserts. Football games will be playing on the television.
"We want to make sure people know they're still important to us," Vogeler said. "We want everybody in Jefferson City to have a good Thanksgiving."
Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly identified volunteer Tom Levin as speaking about a community meal and service at Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Levin is a volunteer at New Bloomfield United Methodist Church, which is hosting a service and community meal from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday.