Volunteers help feed community
Spreading some holiday cheer, organizations and churches around town opened their doors on Thanksgiving Day to help give back to the community, offering up warm meals to hundreds of people.
Visitors Chapel AME Church member Tristan Traylor said that this was the 16th Thanksgiving in a row to help feed people at the church.
“It’s just good to give back,”
Traylor said. He also noted that many of the people who accept the free meals on Thanksgiving might be suffering from different things like depression, mental illness or may not be able to afford to make their own meal.
While this church was offering hot meals to people who stopped by, it was also delivering meals to people around town. Traylor was helping get the meals ready for delivery when he spoke to The Sentinel-Record. He said that by 11:11 a.m., they had sent out around 300 meals to be delivered and had received over 600 orders for delivery.
Fellow volunteer Toni Gipson said that this was her third year to help the church give out the meal.
“Love to serve our city,” she said, adding that she likes that this church delivers. Gipson said that delivering food to people to sick or hurt to make it out to the church, “lets them know they are not forgotten about.”
At First Presbyterian Church on Whittington Avenue, church members and volunteers Mary and Mike McGibbony said that around 75 people had walked through the doors of the church by around noon.
“We just love it. Everyone who comes through the door is very appreciative,” Mary McGibbony said. The two said that they have been volunteering at the Presbyterian Church on Thanksgivings for around five years.
Mike McGibbony noted that as more places have started giving out meals on Thanksgiving, the attendance seemed smaller in years past. However, he also said that giving out meals is “still worthwhile” as it is helping people. For example, Mary McGibbony said that one person who came in told them that the free meal he received was the best thing that has happened to him since he came to Hot Springs.
Another volunteer, Becky Summer, said that one reason she likes to help out with the event is that “I just have fun coming here.”
Grand Avenue United Methodist Church was also giving out meals and they also delivered. Pastor David Fleming said that the church started serving Thanksgiving lunches 23 years ago. By 12:30 p.m., Fleming said he didn’t have an estimate for how many meals they had given out, but he said that last year they served 585 people. Roughly half of that was delivered.
Explaining why they serve meals, Fleming said that the Bible says to love two things. One is God and the other is neighbors. The Thanksgiving meal, Fleming said, honors both of those.
Church member and volunteer Carole Hahm said that she helps out every year. She said that the crowd this year looked like it was going to be a bigger one for them. Fellow volunteer Gerry Smith agreed, saying that he couldn’t remember seeing a crowd as large as this one.
Smith said that he helps with the Thanksgiving meals because it is a family tradition. He also said that hopefully some of the people who visit the church to get a meal will want to come back to the church.
The main goal is to “spread the word of God and help expand his kingdom,” Smith said. He added that there are also a lot of people without families or homes who could use a good meal.
Other places that gave out food were Gospel Light Baptist Church and VFW 2278 Auxiliary. Samaritan Ministries, 131 Sanford St., will have meals available today between noon and 1 p.m., and The Salvation Army’s regular meal will be available between 5 and 6 p.m.