Donations, volunteers sought for Community Thanksgiving meal

Think feeding your entire clan at Thanksgiving is a big undertaking? Imagine feeding more than 400 people. That’s precisely what a group of volunteers does each Thanksgiving Day in Norton, working between All Saints Episcopal Church and St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, located right next to each other across from the city park. If you are unable to attend, a Thanksgiving meal can be delivered to your home. Call Mountain Empire Older Citizens at 276/523-4202 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday - Friday. Please call before Thursday, Nov. 21.

Volunteers will descend on the two churches that day, some placing food in boxes, others driving the meals to their destinations and still others greeting and serving folks who walk in for a meal at All Saints. Demand is up all around — the food bank is regularly saying they’re serving more people. Individuals and businesses donate time, money, food and even boxes in which to carry the meals.
People are needed for everything from boxing food to cleaning up at the end of the day. Volunteers can just show up between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. If you want to come early and leave early, that’s fine. There’s no commitment to come and stay for the duration. Some volunteers don’t show up until the very end, at about 1:30 p.m., to help with cleanup. If you would like to make a donation to the Norton Community Thanksgiving fund you may do so by going to First Bank & Trust in Norton or you may mail your donation to Norton Community Thanksgiving, P.O. Box 844, Norton, Va. 24273. These donations go directly into the Community Thanksgiving Meals account.