The Church of Christ will give about 365 Emporians one more thing to be thankful for this week as church members prepare baskets and meals for Thanksgiving dinner.
Mike Alpers, who helps organize the annual event, said that members put together about 65 baskets Monday night to deliver to people who need a hand getting together a traditional dinner.
“Names for baskets come from a variety of sources,” Alpers said. “People we know that know somebody that has lost a job ... or are having a tough time. And this isn’t a time of year you want to be having a tough time finding food for your family. This is the wrong time of year to be eating home alone.”
On Thursday, church members will serve a free Thanksgiving meal from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church, 12th Avenue and Neosho Street, and also will deliver about 125 meals to people who are unable to get to the church.
“No reservations needed,” Alpers said, “just come and go as you please. Come as you are. ... It is a free meal Thursday. There is no donation ever asked for or anything like that.”
Members also will deliver a dinner in bulk to the Broadview Towers. The meal will be served buffet-style to any resident who wants to partake.
The church has made the dinner its project for about 15 years, and it takes most of its 75-member congregation to make the project a success. Alpers pointed out that in most organizations, about 20 percent of the members do the work.
“If that was the case, I would not want to be in charge of this,” he said.
This year, members have gotten 14 20-pound turkeys and at least one ham as entrees for the meal. The meat will be augmented by mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, corn, green beans, rolls and two kinds of pies — regular and sugar-free.
“This is definitely a very busy week for us,” Alpers said on Monday. “It is a fun week. It is an awesome week.
“Of those 75 church members, you know, our participation is very, very high. Everybody wants to help, everybody wants to pitch in. The kids look forward to delivering the baskets tonight. It’s just been an awesome thing to be involved in.”
Those who assemble and deliver the baskets Monday night have a tradition of their own, and were planning to stop by for Gambino’s pizza after the work was finished.
“We’re in a rut, you know,” Alpers said. “Deliver food and then go eat.”