VENANGO/CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) — Thanksgiving for many individuals means a special time of the year for family gatherings and an elaborate feast; however, it can be a lonely holiday for others.
While most community members are preparing to host a family meal, a few are looking to share with a wider community.
Rebecca Colvin, co-owner of Heath’s Market in Oil City, is gearing up for a very special holiday this year.
Heath’s Market will be hosting a free Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day, offering “turkey and all the fixings” to anyone who would like to join them from noon to 3:00 p.m.
“I can’t even explain how this community has supported us in every way, shopping here at our store, helping us these last two years,” Colvin told exploreClarion.com.
“We just want to give back because we’re so thankful for this community.”
According to Colvin, the store will not be open for sales on Thanksgiving Day, the the door will be open beginning at noon for anyone who would like to join them for their special meal.
“We’re pretty excited, and we hope a lot of people show up,” Colvin said.
She noted many of their family members will be joining them and helping out for the meal.
The meal is completely free, and while they aren’t requiring anything, for those who have asked, they have stated they will have a box for anyone who wants to bring a canned or boxed food item to donate to a good cause. Those items will then be donated to Community Services of Venango County, Inc.
“We’re not asking people to bring things, but if they’d like to donate, it would be wonderful.”
Colvin said while they’re waiting to see how this year’s dinner goes, they may likely consider doing it again next year, or even possibly turning it into an annual event.
Although this is the first year for Heath’s Market’s Thanksgiving Community Dinner, there are others that have been going on for a number of years.
Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner in Clarion
The tradition of a free Community Thanksgiving Dinner will continue this year on November 28, at the Immaculate Conception Parish Event Center on Main Street, Clarion. The Community Thanksgiving Dinner is free and open to anyone who would like to attend.
Previously held, for 12 years running, at the County Seat Restaurant under the leadership of Mary Lenhart and many volunteers, the tradition continues this year under the leadership of committee chairs Rayna and Shawn Hoke.
According to Rayna Hoke, while she and her husband planned on joining the new committee when it was formed and being involved in the Thanksgiving event, they hadn’t initially planned on becoming chairs, until a twist of fate seemed to lead them to the positions.
“We missed the first meeting, where everyone said what they’d be willing to contribute, and what was left was the chairs,” Hoke said.
“Of course, no one said we had to do it, but my husband said ‘hey, maybe this was meant to be?’ It just felt almost like we were supposed to be doing this.”
Hoke said the committee has been hard at work since those first meetings, moving from their original monthly meetings to bi-monthly meetings, then weekly meetings as the big day drew closer.
“I’m really excited. I have chills and goosebumps just talking about it,” Hoke said.
“Everything is lining up very nicely, and Mary has been such a wonderful asset. I think if we wouldn’t have had her, we wouldn’t have been nearly this prepared.”
According to Hoke, they already have a combined total of about 80 volunteers for the day before Thanksgiving and the day of Thanksgiving, and that’s not even counting the people who are doing advanced preparation and cooking and donating food items.
And yet, even with so many people involved, Hoke said more hands would still be welcome.
Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up online here. Review the options listed and choose the available spot(s) you like and then sign up. It’s easy, and you will not need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.
Free Community Thanksgiving Meal in Roseville
Looking a bit further to the east, another free community Thanksgiving meal is in the works at Roseville Independent Chapel on U.S. 322, just outside of Brookville.
According to organizer Lee Ann Swartz, the Thanksgiving meal at Roseville grew from an idea her late husband, Harold Swartz, mentioned to her a number of years ago.
“He mentioned to me several times that he would like to do a dinner for people who would be alone or couldn’t afford a dinner of their own,” Swartz said.
“I took it to my Bible study group and we decided to start a dinner.”
The first dinner was held nine years ago, in the old Roseville Chapel building. Swartz’s husband was able to join them the first two years before he passed away, but the dinner has continued in his honor and memory.
According to Swartz, all of the turkeys are donated, each year, by a man who prefers to remain anonymous. Swartz and her co-coordinator, Janet Hines, along with some of Swartz’s family members purchase and cook the side items, which include stuffing, gravy, potatoes, noodles, green beans, and cranberries.
“Everything is all homemade,” Swartz noted.
“It sounds like a lot, but we’ve done it for so long, and we have so much help. It’s funny because I have so many people that really want to do it, people that really want to help. It’s a wonderful feeling.”
Swartz said they do request that people call in advance and make a “reservation,” so they have an idea of the head count and how much food to prepare each year, but they always have a few stragglers, and always manage to make it all work out.
They also offer take-outs and deliveries for local residents who are unable to attend.
While the meal is completely free and open to anyone, she also noted they do accept donations during the meal, for those who wish to contribute. All of the donations go to the church’s building fund to complete the next phase of their building project.
Those interested in attending the meal or volunteering to contribute can reach the church by calling 814-849-0817.
