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Highlands Today

Donations Sought For Thanksgiving Meal Programs

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: November 14, 2008

SEBRING - The Salvation Army and Atonement Lutheran Church in Sebring are teaming up this year to provide a free Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings, expecting to serve between 300 to 400 people.

And Union Congregational Church in Avon Park is again preparing to serve more than 800 Thanksgiving meals, delivered throughout the county.

Organizers for both projects report an increased need this year while donations have dropped, but feel confident they'll find the additional help to meet the need.

"Donations are not quite what we would like them to be, but by this next Sunday we're hopeful that we will have everything," said Cheryal Phillips, administrative secretary at Union Congregational Church.

Donations for the annual Thanksgiving project come from church members and the community, and have always met the need since this holiday ministry was launched 10 years ago, she said.

"We're going to be cooking 61 turkeys, and we need 21 turkeys more," Phillips said. She said donations are also needed of about three dozen boxes of stuffing mix, five one-gallon cans of corn, and 100 pies.

"All the food comes from the people in our church and in our community, and it's been going on for all this time because people keep supporting it, and it's a wonderful mission," Phillips said. "One of our missions is to reach out into the community and that's what we want to do, is be the hands of Jesus."

The church expects to serve about 100 meals at the church hall, 106 N. Butler Ave., at 1 p.m., and deliver about 700 meals to people throughout the Avon Park, Sebring and Lake Placid areas.

Phillips said the biggest need now is for volunteers from Lake Placid who could pick up meals and deliver them in their area.

For information on making a donation of food or cash or to volunteer, Phillips said, people should call the church office at 453-3345.

Major Mary Holmes of the Salvation Army said donations of sweet potatoes, boxes of stuffing mix and paper plates are still needed, but the biggest need is for desserts.

"That's what we're lacking," she said. "If people would be willing to bring in desserts to Atonement Lutheran Church at about 10 o'clock that morning, that would be absolutely wonderful."

Patti Graff, who with her husband Edwin, organizes Atonement Lutheran Church's Thanksgiving meal ministry, said people can help by donating the needed food items or cash to purchase them.

"A lot of the places we went to for donations have cut back compared to what we got last year," Graff said.

"Even if people give $5, it doesn't seem like a lot, but it adds up," she said.

Holmes said contributions to the Salvation Army "are down a bit." But, she added, "by combining our efforts with Atonement Lutheran, it is going to work out."

Donations can be pledged by calling Holmes at the Salvation Army, 385-7548, Ext. 110.

If contributions exceed what is needed, Holmes said, "we are starting our Christmas effort, so what's not used for Thanksgiving would go into the Christmas effort."

Sit-down meals will be served from noon to 3 p.m. at the Atonement Lutheran Church Social Hall, 1178 Lakeview Drive, Sebring. Take-out meals also will be distributed at two locatons, Lemon Street and Sebring Parkway, from noon to 12:30 p.m., and at the laundromat at the Blue Crab Mall from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m.

Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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