Thanksgiving is more than just a day to eat a lot of turkey and dressing; it is a time for us to express gratitude for the blessings in our lives. It is also a time to share with others, especially those who may be in need. This is what we are called to do as Christians. This year was FPCZ’s 13th year providing a free Thanksgiving meal to our community. It began as a way to give back from all of our many blessings from God. Each year the response and the need has grown, and this year was no different. Planning begins in April as a core group uses feedback and best practices from previous years to plan for the event. We receive a tremendous amount of support from the community—both monetarily and from volunteers. Shopping, prepping, and organizing take place well in advance so that the day of the event runs smoothly. The chefs arrive early in the morning, and volunteers have assignments throughout the day. It takes around 70 volunteers to manage everything from cutting pies to packing cranberry sauce and to manage the line of people. Meals are served between 3 pm and 5 pm, but people begin lining up as early as 11 am. We serve a delicious homestyle Thanksgiving meal: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, roll with butter, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Yum! This year we served nearly 900 free meals. Each year it is humbling to serve our neighbors in this way and to receive in return their gratitude and thanks. We are truly blessed!
Rev. Denise Lay, First Presbyterian Church of Zephyrhills