It would be safe to say that the kitchen at NyE Communities Coalition is awash with volunteers preparing for tomorrow’s free Thanksgiving Community Dinner, from noon to 3 p.m.
Coordinator Linda Wright said the event, now in its 10th year, serves as a way for families and individuals to socialize and enjoy the holiday with others.
Additionally, Wright said the meal will include turkey, ham and all of the fixings, as several cases of corn and sweet potatoes recently arrived at the coalition.
“We also got 25 cases of turkey breasts, which is usually enough and we usually have some left over for our Community Christmas Dinner,” she said. “We will also have stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, butter as well as pies and cranberry sauce. It is a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the community, free of charge.”
The kitchen staff is under the direction of Eric Webb from Pahrump’s Wings and Things. Wright said the staff will spend their Thanksgiving Day serving others.
“They are doing all of the preparation and cooking,” she said. “They start preparing on Wednesday and of course they will be serving dinner on Thursday. Right now they’re getting everything together like the stuffing and the rest of the fixings.”
Wright also spoke of the importance of volunteers for an event that provided 600 meals.
She noted that during such events, “you can never have too many.”
“We would not be able to do this properly without the help of all of the great volunteers,” she said. “I will take volunteers on Thanksgiving Day so they can still come in and help if they choose. We really need additional drivers to deliver the meals to our homebound residents. For those who want to volunteer, they can call the coalition at 775 -727- 9970, extension 236.”
As coordinator of the annual dinner, Wright said the event serves as a venue for the community to come together and break bread.
“The individuals in families who join us for the community are very grateful and appreciative,” she said. “It’s a time for socialization where we get to see old friends and meet new friends. That’s what it’s all about, just getting the community together. It also feels great for us to give back to the community. We’ve been doing this for close to 10 years, where it started at the Bob Ruud Community Center. It became so popular that we had to move it to the coalition because we have much more room here.”
The food for the event is donated, purchased through grants or fundraisers throughout the year.
NyE Communities Coalition is located at 1020 E. Wilson Road, across from the Nye County School District offices.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @sharrispvt