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Highlands Today

Thanksgiving Feasts

Gary Pinnell/ighlands Today

About 75 volunteers at Union Congregational Church prepared about 800 meals on Thanksgiving Day. About 360 boxes would be delivered to the homes of the hungry or people who would otherwise not get a holiday dinner.

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By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: November 28, 2008

A day of giving thanks, which means so much to so many people, was a day of service to volunteers in Avon Park and Sebring.

Their day started days ago, when they bought carloads of food, baked pies and turkeys, and started preparing to feed the masses.

"We've got a box truck that goes out to the low income areas," said family Pastor Tiger Gullett, who was watching over six dozen volunteers dishing out dressing or green beans or corn for hours on Thursday morning.

It all began eight or nine years ago, Gullett recalled, when a lady, grateful for the home she'd received from Habitat for Humanity, asked for some kitchen equipment so she could bake pies to hand out for Thanksgiving.

Here's the connection: Jane Breylinger was many years the executive director for the Highlands County chapter of Habitat, and her husband, Bill, is the senior pastor of the church.

"The congregants pitched in," said Gullett. They baked 188 pies for this day, and donated 71 whole turkeys; 39 gallon-sized cans of corn were cooked.

And how does one mash 300 pounds of potatoes? In a 5-gallon paint bucket with an electric drill.

Ten miles south, in Sebring, the Salvation Army and Atonement Lutheran Church on Lakeview Drive joined forces to prepare meals for people who otherwise might eat alone.

They included Jose Hernandez, Gerard Valvo, Beverly Eck and Judy Howell. Eck befriended Hernandez, whose car broke down. She's been taking him places for two months, and today, she invited Valvo and her friend Howell for a foursome at the church.

"I wouldn't have had anyplace else to go," said Hernandez, who was grateful for the invitation.

"Yes, you would have," Eck insisted.

Howell was glad for the social occasion too, pointing out that donating money to the Salvation Army for this meal was a better choice than eating in a restaurant, which would have cost more anyway.

Ed Graff and his wife, Patti, started this Thanksgiving feed three years ago. They suggested it to the church, which voted in favor of the idea.

About 100 people were fed the first year, Graff said.

The poor economy produced far more calls this year though, and he expects to feed 300 this time. There were so many phone calls requesting deliveries, the Graffs had to put out their own call for food. The community responded, and they have enough to feed about 400, if necessary.

"We probably got five times the phone calls," Graff said. "The people who got turkeys at work donated them to us, and we probably got 50 pies after the call went out that we needed food.

"The volunteers do a wonderful job," said Salvation Army Maj. Mary Holmes.

Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863 386-5828

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