Congregational Church feeds over 100 people in first hour of Thanksgiving meal service

LACONIA — The spirit of Thanksgiving is to honor and celebrate the blessings in our lives, and help those in need. At the Congregational Church of Laconia, members take that notion seriously.

A line of more than 20 people formed outside the church on Thursday morning, half an hour before members of the congregation planned to open their doors to serve traditional Thanksgiving meals to anybody in need, no questions asked. They served over 100 less than an hour into their planned meal service there. 

People from all walks of life, many of retirement age, walked up to the door on the side of the church closest to Main Street and mingled with Bob Nerbonne, who was busy bagging Thanksgiving meals for each person as they arrived. The first real snowfall of the year came down upon them, and many were bundled in winter coats or plastic ponchos to keep dry.

“We were ready early this time,” church member Brad Geltz said.

The spread was dignified — fresh turkey and hot gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, braised carrots, green beans and a choice of apple or pumpkin pie. Each meal came complete with bottles of water, napkins, salt and pepper, sugar and bread rolls.

Hollis Thompson, a member of the church, acted as coordinator Thursday morning. She made sure the food came fresh up from a large, industrial kitchen on the lower level of the church to the small annex near the entrance, where an assembly line of other volunteers readied plates of food for those who came to the door. 

The church has maintained the tradition of service for at least 40 years, possibly longer, Thompson said. 

“I think it’s even longer than that,” she said. The church used to set up tables in a large common area downstairs, adjacent to the kitchen, and serve restaurant-style. This year was the fourth operating as take-out.

“It gave everybody an opportunity to have a Thanksgiving if they’re low,” she said. 

A former Laconia schoolteacher, Hazel Duke started the tradition at the church. 

“She believed nobody should go without,” Thompson said. “It’s kind of grown a little bit.”

Last year, the church served 200 people. On Thursday, they’d served about 100 people by noon, their scheduled start time. Service started around 10:30 a.m. because people were already forming a large line outside the door. 

Thompson said she and her husband moved to Laconia about 10 years ago and joined the Congregational church. She enjoys participating in the meal service to help others in the community before joining her family for a Thanksgiving meal of their own later on.

“I think they really do appreciate it, very much so,” she said. 

Thompson, Geltz, Janet Janke, Carol Betz, Charles Stickney and others spent a few hours on Tuesday cutting up turkeys and came in on Wednesday to prepare the massive spread. They arrived at the church around 9 a.m. Thursday to make their final preparations. 

“The church always feels it’s good to live your faith,” Geltz said. “Helping the community is important — having a belief system that says we’re going to help people whether you’re a member or not.”

Some of the food they served on Thursday was donated by the New Hampshire Food Bank, some of the turkeys were purchased by the church. About one third of the food was donated. They prepared, carved and served a total of 13 turkeys. St. Vincent de Paul Society donated two of the birds, green beans and other foodstuffs. Two-doors-down, at Chaos & Kindness’ CAKE Theatre, another meal service would begin at 2 p.m. 

Volunteers at the church wheeled carts of food and other items up and down the elevator between the main floor and the basement kitchen, where Cornelia Byleigh was fast at work washing dishes. The church holds a special place in her heart, she said, because around two years ago she fell to the ground outside of it and broke her chin. It was members of the church who found her and escorted her to the hospital.

Byleigh has difficulty hearing, so she doesn’t often attend weekend worship services, but still wants to be involved with the congregation and volunteers to help whenever she can. On Thursday, she was busy keeping up with dishes from the church’s meal service.

“It fulfills a need for me,” she said. “I have a need to help, I’ve always been a person of service. I know my assignment and it’s a good thing because they work around my hearing.”

She calls the congregation her “church family.”

“And I am having a happy Thanksgiving.”