Groups provide Thanksgiving meals for people in need

Thanksgiving came early for about 470 Putnam County residents during an annual meal giveaway Tuesday in Palatka.

Sponsored by Creative Cuzinz, the Church of Recovery and the Palatka Housing Authority, Feed the Neighborhood provided free hot meals to any local resident starting at noon at the Price-Martin Community Center. Meals included turkey, ham, all the fixings, and a variety of pies and cakes.

Christine Bolden, 75, an event volunteer, participates every year and sees it as a means to show the community somebody cares.

“Most of the people who come may not even have a place to lay their head or get a decent meal,” she said. “To some, it’s a free meal they don’t have to worry about or beg for.”

Palatka resident Theresa Thomas, her daughter and her daughter’s three young children stopped by for lunch.

“I think it’s amazing,” Theresa Thomas said. “I wish we had more groups who would do it. It teaches value and it’s important.”

Besides that, she believes meals like this bring families together.

“Many may not be able to get together for a Thanksgiving meal,” she said. “And starting children out young seeing this shows them how they can help better the community. They are never too young to start.”

Lakesha Session and her cousin, Marion Session, are two of the coordinators of the event.

Lakesha Session said about 470 meals were distributed at the event or delivered to the elderly. That number is about 100 more than volunteers usually distribute, she said.

“We usually give out about 350 to 375 meals, but kids were out of school this year,” she said. “It makes me feel good people came out to take part in the free meal.”

In addition to the meals given away at Price-Martin, 20 meals were delivered to Home Away From Home special needs house and a combined 25 meals were given to seniors living at the Annie Mae Spell and Madison Court Palatka Housing Authority facilities.

Palatka resident Nathaniel C. Smith finds events like this to be all about the community.

“It’s about teamwork and bringing people together and lifting each other up,” he said.

Lakesha Session said the mission behind Feed the Neighborhood was to give everybody a hot meal for Thanksgiving.

“Some people needed the meals, but it’s not just about the unfortunate – but anybody who wanted a hot meal,” she said. “Many may not get a hot meal each day and this meal could help them get through the day. The seniors that are home-bound didn’t have to worry about cooking today. The meal was just a chance to give back.”