St. John's Community Thanksgiving Dinner since 2007
Church parishioners and community volunteers have been preparing and serving delicious Thanksgiving meals at St. John's Lutheran Church in Guttenberg on Thanksgiving day since 2007. (Photo submitted)
By Caroline Rosacker
A Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be offered at St. John's Lutheran Church, 203 Pearl Street in Guttenberg on Thursday, November 28.
Reserved Dine-in, pick-up, or delivered Thanksgiving dinners will include turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, green bean casserole, salad, roll and pie.
Reminder
Pick-up meals (limit of 4) can be picked up at the St. John’s Lutheran Church parking lot between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
Delivered meals (limit of 4) will be delivered only in the Guttenberg City limits.
Dine-in will be available from 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. in the handicap accessible St. John's Church fellowship hall.
Community meal history
St. John's Lutheran Church Community Thanksgiving Dinner started in 2007 under the direction of the late Pastor Harold McMillian. "It began as a project for Luther League youth members," remembered Gail Larson, and her husband, Richard, who were new church members. "It was great! The kids did a bang-up job and it was a well-supported service project."
The following year Frank and Julie Davis, Terry and Pat Meyer, Gerald and Trudy Glawe, and Richard and Gail Larson decided to keep the community event going. "It just grew from there," commented Richard and Gail.
Through the years important information has been gathered in a binder and handed down to event organizers. "Many of the mistakes made in the early years were valuable lesson moving forward," noted Gail.
"One of the things I discovered while helping in the kitchen was it was good practice for my new hobby – cooking," added Richard with a laugh.
Ecumenical Gathering
"Our goal has always been to bring people together in our church that wanted to share a Thanksgiving meal with others," said organizers, Diane Thiese and Nancy Heitman.
St John’s Lutheran have become the organizers of this event through the Outreach and Fellowship Committees (they have very good cooks!) The ecumenical event brings parishioners and volunteers together from all faiths. Here’s a taste of what ecumenical volunteering looks like; St. Paul members Steve and Cindy Moser prepare all the potatoes ready to cook (75-80 lbs), and Living Water Bible Fellowship parishioners, Pete and Kathy Sanders boil and mash the potatoes (besides other things). Volunteers from the United Methodist and St Mary’s parishes help with cooking/serving, delivery, pick-up and clean-up duties. It’s not a got-to but a get-to bunch!
Working together in the kitchen also creates a sense of camaraderie. "We work in shifts for several days. Everyone has their job," commented Gail "Al Moser does a wonderful job setting up the tables and chairs and cleaning up before and after the event, and Harold Heitman and Joe Moser carve all the turkeys. You can always be assured Pastor Mike (an excellent cook himself) will be walking through the kitchen to see what’s cooking."
The group appreciates the newly remodeled kitchen and fellowship hall. "We have plenty of outlets for the roasters, and the new folding chairs are wonderful. The smaller tables make it easy to create a cozy atmosphere," they told The Press.
All are welcome
Organizers stress attending the event in person and sharing a Thanksgiving meal with other community members is important. "There is such a difference when people come together. It creates a sense of belonging, storytelling, laughing and sharing," Diane said with a smile. "You never quite know who to expect to see as there always seems to be an unexpected stranded visitor or two to the area and we are so glad they come for fellowship with us. We understand the difficulties some may have in gathering together at church so we are happy for those that will enjoy our meal who cannot get out and about easily."
The group collectively agreed the event has not bounced back since the pandemic. "We introduced the drive-thru that year. Although restrictions have been lifted we have not seen an increase in people dining in," they reported.
Last year St. John's Community Thanksgiving Dinner volunteers served 175 people. "It takes a whole community to make this happen. It is all about spreading God's Love," they concluded.
Donations are welcome but not the intention of this gathering. All donations are gathered and given to a charitable organization. Past donations benefited Family Resource Center, Shepherd of the Hills in St Olaf, and Guttenberg Municipal Hospital and Clinics.
Please consider volunteering. Call Diane Thiese at 515-480-5666 to arrange.
