Hundreds benefit from Congregational Church of Laconia's Thanksgiving meal service

LACONIA — Volunteers were busy downtown on Thursday morning, preparing to serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal, takeout-style, to any community member in need of food, no questions asked.  

It’s a big ordeal, and is run out of the Congregational Church of Laconia United Church of Christ each year. Some volunteers are members of the church, and others aren’t, but they’ve all got the same goal: feed the hungry a dignified meal so they, too, can celebrate Thanksgiving.  

Hollis Thompson is one of those volunteers, and Thursday morning was managing a large team there. Downstairs in a hall next to the industrial kitchen, Thompson flitted back and forth between stations and among volunteers, orchestrating what would be a rather large meal service through the afternoon.  

“It evolved over the years and different people ran it,” she said in an unmistakable Corpus Christi drawl.

The church has been serving food on Thanksgiving for nearly 60 years. The tradition started as a dine-in experience but, during COVID, they evolved to takeout. It was the death of school teacher and church member Hazel Duke, who insisted nobody go hungry on Thanksgiving, that started the tradition. Members of the church shepherded it on through the years, and it persists today.  

“We always have a really fun crew of people,” Thompson said. This year, that group included volunteers like Thompson, Andy Giovanni, Brad Geltz, Joey Hodges and Bob Nerbonne.

The meals are served hot, and are a complete traditional plate. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables and dessert, along with condiments, utensils and napkins.  

“We serve them individual containers,” Thompson said. Some people at the door take multiple meals for friends and family members, thanking volunteers profusely as they go. It was cold outside on Thursday morning.

“The food is hot when we serve it,” she said.

Much of the work to prepare for the meal service is done in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the food having been donated by members of the church. On Tuesday, for example, volunteers were busy peeling potatoes and cutting them up, then making dressing. On Wednesday, the to-go service area is prepared, and much of the cooking begins. Some of the food is prepared on Thanksgiving day.  

“I’m so tired now,” Thompson said Thursday.

This year, she said, they prepared 21 birds. Giovanni was in charge of the turkeys on Thanksgiving morning.

“It’s my turn right now,” Giovanni said. “I’m proud, I’m happy for our church, that we’re able to participate in our community.” 

Typically, about 200 meals are served each year. Around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, a group of 25 or so volunteers were about ready to begin meal service, half an hour early. They’re often finished by 2 p.m., with a queue of patrons single-file outside a street-level entrance to the church. Meals are served packaged up after a line of volunteers at folding tables carefully prepares each one. 

“We try to serve until there’s no food left,” Thompson said. They’d like to serve much more, but the kitchen is “only so big. 

“It shows that people really do care. We believe that everybody deserves a chance, deserves a meal,” Thompson said. “If we could serve 400, we’d do it.”