By RICKY HARVEY
Leader managing editor
Many area churches have spent the past couple of weeks preparing and distributing food baskets for needy families and at least one church will host a Thanksgiving Day meal for those in need on Thursday.
First United Methodist Church in Beebe will host a noon lunch on Thursday for anyone in need. There are no eligibility requirements for the free meal, which last year drew a crowd of 375 hungry diners.
“One year we had someone just passing through town who saw our sign and just came in and ate,” said Bill Palmisano, coordinator of the event.
The VFW post in Jacksonville hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for 238 guests on Saturday.
“It went very well,” said Paula Jahoda, assistant manager at the VFW. “The size of crowd we had was just about average.”
First Baptist Church in Jacksonville was one of many churches in the area which prepared food baskets.
“We just delivered our final one just a little bit ago,” the church secretary said Tuesday afternoon.
The Cabot Rotary Club held their annual Thanksgiving food drive and used money earned from a four-wheeler give-away to buy food at a discounted price from Kroger in Cabot.
On Saturday, 150 care baskets were put together and delivered in Lonoke County, including 30 baskets which were delivered to spouses of airmen deployed overseas.
The leadership personnel at Little Rock Air Force Base will serve airmen Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, according to 1st Lt. Jon Quinlan.
“The command chief and commander are among those who serve Thanksgiving dinner to the troops who are here,” Quinlan said.
“All the airmen who are required to stay on base or students who can’t go home come and eat. We usually have a full house.”
