Community gives thanks at community meal
<p><strong>Mary Ellen Crabtree prepares a plate of Thanksgiving staples during the community Thanksgiving meal at the Plains soup kitchen.</strong></p>
PLAINS – Thanksgiving is a time when people like to gather with their families for a meal; however, due to varying circumstances, many people are not able to do so. Those residents, though, were still able to enjoy the festive meal during the Plains community soup kitchen’s community Thanksgiving dinner.
In all, it was estimated approximately 88 people came for the meal. According to Marsha Wendell, head of the soup kitchen, this is about average for traffic to their meals. However, since it was Thanksgiving it was a different crowd; while some of their regulars did come by, there were a number of new people there. She recalled there was one family from Idaho who attended while visiting the area.
People came from all over the area for Thanksgiving. Wendell said they got people from Plains, but there were also a number from Superior, Thompson Falls and other communities around the area.
“We get a well rounded group of people,” she said.
A number of volunteers also came out to help with the Thanksgiving feast. Wendell recalled she, and a number of other volunteers, were at the kitchen early Thursday morning to start cooking; they had also been in Wednesday to start the turkeys and hams cooking.
The meal consisted of ham, turkey, green beans, bread rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, carrots and sweet potatoes. For dessert, there was a pumpkin square.
Most of the leftovers from the meal were going to be added into a soup for one of the kitchen’s regular meals. The leftovers that could not be added were donated to people who needed it.
“I don’t like to throw food away,” said Wendell. “That’s basically why we’re here; try to help out [those in need] … we always try to use whatever’s left in something.”
She noted Thanksgiving is a very social, family oriented holiday but some people are not able to spend it with their loved ones. The community Thanksgiving is a way for people to have the social aspect of the holiday; Wendell recalled there were some people who came to the soup kitchen to talk to others in the community.