The anticipation of Thanksgiving Day is full of many questions. Whose side of the family will host the meal? How many people can a 16-pound turkey actually feed? Are there going to be enough side dishes or even too many? What about choosing the football game to capture the drowsy attention of this year’s tryptophan victims?
But for some across Maine, one question replaces all these Thanksgiving worries: How do you give back to those less fortunate on the holiday that is all about giving thanks?
Manna Ministries of Bangor has been hosting a public Thanksgiving meal for the last 15 years. During that time, Executive Director Bill Rae has seen firsthand how volunteering on this family-centric holiday benefits givers and receivers.
“To be waited on, to be doted on — it’s a really great feeling when you’re socially at the end of the economic ladder. It’s nice to have somebody care for you and bring you a plate of food and to sit and talk with you for a minute,” Rae said. “It’s not just giving somebody a plate. It’s actually the interaction with the people who are eating there. … It’s very rewarding as a volunteer.”
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Maine has the highest rate of food insecurity among New England states. With nearly 12.6 percent of residents living below the poverty line and 18 percent receiving food stamp assistance, more than 200,000 Mainers do not have reliable access to sufficient food resources.
On one of the biggest food holidays of the year shelters, food pantries, community organizations and religious groups across the state put on free Thanksgiving meals for anyone who wants or needs to attend. In order to get the meal prepared and served for a large public audience, organizers of these community meals rely heavily on the generosity of volunteers.
“We have volunteers that do the cooking, that do the cleaning, that do the serving … that really do everything,” Rae said.
According to Mary Zwolinksi, executive director for Portland’s Wayside Food Program, Thanksgiving is the day of the year many families have set aside to give back, and they intend on passing that tradition down to their children.
“For a lot of people, they’re busy in the rest of their lives. [Thanksgiving] is the one day of the year where it’s really all about feeding people and helping people and family if you have it. … A lot of this involves volunteers bringing their children with them,” Zwolinski said. “Many of the younger children that come don’t necessarily know that they’re doing something unique; they’re coming because it is just a part of a family tradition. I think making it a part of a family tradition, where on a day like Thanksgiving, where people who have so much are able to give back, that kind of a tradition sticks with kids.”
It doesn’t take much to get wrapped up in the spirit of giving, according to Rae, who said many of the people and families who volunteer on Thanksgiving come year after year. Sometimes this includes absorbing more family members into the volunteer tradition. Last year, Rae said, three generations of one family came out to help serve the public dinner. After witnessing children react to the experience of giving back, Rae agrees with Zwolinski on the importance of children being included in volunteering.
“[Children volunteering] is much more important than the parents, because the children are our next generation. If they can learn now the spirit of volunteering and the spirit of giving and realizing that these people that come to eat here — the homeless, the working poor, the fixed income, the elderly — they’re not scary, they’re real people … and that really changes [the child’s] mindset,” Rae said.
Interested in giving back this Thanksgiving? There are a few community events around the state that are still looking for volunteers to help bring to life their Nov. 27 meals:
Bangor: Manna Ministries will be hosting a public supper at the Columbia Street Baptist Church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are needed for preparation, serving and cleanup. For more information, call 207-990-2870.
Ellsworth: The Emmaus Homeless Shelter and Riverside Cafe are offering a free Thanksgiving dinner from noon to 3 p.m. for the 17th year in a row. Volunteers and entertainment are still needed. For more information, call 207-667-3692.
Rockland: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church will be serving a free public meal at the Church Parish Hall on White Street from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact the church office at 207-594-8191.
Gardiner: The Augusta Valley Scottish Rite Masons will be serving a free meal at the Gardiner Area High School from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The same organization is also delivering meals to homebound residents in the area. Call 207-737-2021 by Nov. 25 to lend a hand on Thanksgiving day.