Looking to bring the Escalon Community Thanksgiving Dinner back to its roots – by bringing the community together – the Escalon Ministerial Association will be putting on the annual dinner once again. It will be staged at the Escalon Community Center on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28.
“The only change is we’re not doing takeouts,” said Casey Ryan, Youth Pastor at Heritage Church, working with the EMA on the dinner project. “We want to create community for people that otherwise would be alone.”
Ryan said the “heart” of the event at its very beginning was to put on a dinner in a centralized location in the community, a gathering place where all those in need or those who would be alone on the holiday, could come together to share a meal.
Though the number of meals served has remained relatively steady through the years, the number of take-out dinners has increased, with more people coming to the Community Center to take the meals home, as opposed to sitting down and eating with others.
Ryan said they will make sure that those who can’t attend, for health or other reasons, do receive a home delivered meal. They also plan to provide rides for those who don’t have transportation to the Community Center.
“Escalon Strong and C.A.R.E., both of those organizations do some food deliveries and they pretty much know who those shut-ins are,” Ryan said of making sure those who need a hot holiday meal will have one provided.
He said the EMA will look to transport those at Heritage House and Almond Grove senior communities who may be in need of a ride.
“We’ll figure out a way to get them the food or to get the people to the food at the Community Center,” Ryan said, adding that they don’t want to leave anybody out, but they want to return to the initial emphasis of the community Thanksgiving.
“We are looking for volunteers to help out, in the kitchen, serving the food, also set up the day before and for the clean up afterward,” he added.
Ryan also said the EMA is very appreciative of the work that take-out and delivery coordinator DeeAnna Jackson did over a several year period, overseeing that side of the dinner and helping provide the meals for many scattered throughout the community and the outskirts.
“She has done a great job facilitating this event for several years and we do appreciate all of the work she’s done over the years,” Ryan said. “It’s just a different focus; the EMA felt strongly that we want this to be a community event.”
Food preparation will be done by culinary students at the Institute of Technology in Modesto and serving will be done inside the Escalon Community Center, 1055 Escalon Ave., from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
“It will be one hour of serving but people are welcome to sit and visit,” Ryan said, adding that they want attendees to feel comfortable and enjoy the camaraderie.
Volunteer hours will vary by area of service; those interested in helping out can visit https://tinyurl.com/2024EMAThanksgivingVolunteer for more information or to sign up.
