Food at the speed of life: Turkey dinners unite community

Two Portales turkey dinners mean family and more.

Methodist church’s turkey dinner raises money for missions, and Portales Community Outreach provides a free Thanksgiving Day meal.

The Methodist dinner lets the community gather and catch up. The volunteers really seem to have everything running on greased gears.

According to the church, this year’s dinner included:

• 46 turkeys

• 26 roasters of dressing

• 84 gallons of green beans

• 156 dozen rolls

• 450 apples

• 150 bunches of celery

• 18 gallons of cranberry sauce

• 250 pumpkin pies

• 1,855 meals (a record)

At the Thanksgiving Day dinner last year, quite a few people donated their holiday, and I made a friend I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise.

The dinner gives Thanksgiving to anyone in Clovis and Portales. The following weekend, volunteers take the American holiday to prison inmates in Mexico.

The first dinner lets community members enjoy and reconnect with people they know and love. The second draws together people who may not normally meet.

The first fuels efforts to carry light to others’ spirits. The second offers warm meals and smiles to someone who might lack either or both.

May the full plates and warmth always see another year.