BRATTLEBORO — It takes a lot of work to maintain a holiday tradition for decades, but for nearly a half-century, there has been a community Thanksgiving dinner in town.
The 47th edition of this meal will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28 at the St. Michael Catholic School gymnasium on Walnut Street.
And it takes dozens of volunteers and generous donations of money and food to support Brattleboro Community Thanksgiving, which serves more than 500 people each Thanksgiving Day.
According to Anna LaPorte, one of the volunteers involved with this free event, the planning for this year's dinner started “since the last plate was packed away” after last year's meal.
Laporte serves as chief financial officer on Brattleboro Community Thanksgiving's executive board. She said the board was set up as part of the process of establishing the team serving the dinner as a nonprofit organization.
The first meal was served at the now-closed Common Ground Restaurant on Elliot Street in 1973.
“Those of us new to the planning committee have been told by some of our old timers, like Ray Branagan and Pete Wiles, that 'you weren't even born when the event served its first turkey.' It's all in good fun, though,” said LaPorte.
Over the years, the event has moved around and has gone through all sorts of changes, but there has been one constant. In the words of the Dinner's mission statement, it is “providing a welcoming and inclusive space for the greater Brattleboro Community to feed their stomachs and fill their souls with family and community spirit.”
Donations abound
Once again, St, Michael's has donated the space to host the free family-style dinner, while the Brattleboro Masonic Lodge is again lending its kitchen facilities for roasting turkeys and preparing pans of food, from stuffing and roasted vegetables to pots full of mashed potatoes and gravy.
“St. Michael's has been amazing and so accommodating, as has the Mason Lodge,” LaPorte said. “It has been great partnering with both entities.”
Many of the vegetables are donated by area farms, and area bakeries and restaurants donate desserts and baked goods.
This year, LaPorte said, the Vermont Foodbank will manage for food donations for the dinner.
“If there are any businesses that want to share their products, extra holiday food items, or to drop off large donations, they can contact our donation coordinator and, once they get set up, donations can be made to the Foodbank and earmarked for the Brattleboro Thanksgiving Dinner,” LaPorte said.
Kaci Viado, the dinner's food donations coordinator, can be contacted at 802-282-7905. LaPorte said several volunteer drivers will also be available to pick up donations.
“We still need everything and anything that a normal family would use to create a Thanksgiving Dinner, but about 20 more of whatever it is: each, pounds, or ounces,” LaPorte said.
LaPorte said they will be offering “Thanksgiving on Wheels,” with meal delivery for community members who are unable to make it to St. Michael's. For more information and to set up delivery, contact Nicole Braun at 603-903-4515. LaPorte said they are unable to take meal requests via Facebook or email.
Live music has been a tradition at these meals, and LaPorte said musicians are welcome to volunteer and showcase their talents by contacting musical director Andrew Lamoureux at 802-490-9850.
But mostly, LaPorte said, they need volunteers to help with everything from chopping up veggies and doing food prep at the Masonic Lodge, to setting up and taking down the tables and chairs for the meal, to serving the meal, to washing the dishes and cleaning up the hall at the end the meal.
“Volunteer sign-ups are happening a little different this year,” LaPorte said. “we are opening up the signups to the [Brattleboro Union High School] and [Brattleboro Area Middle School] students who need volunteer hours first, and we are hoping to set up groups of them to work with other volunteers throughout the event.”
“Once this is coordinated, we will open up our signups to the general public,” she added.
For more information on volunteer opportunities, people can visit the event's Facebook page at facebook.com/bratt.thanksgiving or send an email to [email protected].
LaPorte said an alert will be sent out to interested volunteers when sign-ups begin.
“We have to ask that people not show up without signing up first; to please be conscious of the age limitations, as some activities are not suited for children of all ages; and if they miss sign-ups they can contact the committee by email to inquire about open positions,” LaPorte said.