Local residents that may not have family in the area, don’t have the ability to put on a full feast or those that just want to share the holiday with others are invited to attend Escalon’s annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 26.
This open-to-all holiday feast will include turkey and all the trimmings, along with the traditional pumpkin pie for dessert, this year with Robin Jones overseeing the cooking. Dining hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Escalon Community Center, though the facility will open earlier for people to come and socialize, roughly between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Officials said the delivery drivers, those who have signed up to take meals to the elderly, ill or shut-ins, will be kept busy and there will also be a ‘take out’ station, where diners who want to come and pick up dinner and take it home will be served.
Volunteers also ‘work’ the center, taking orders and delivering meals to diners, with tables festively set for the holiday.
This is a program sponsored by the Escalon Ministerial Association, with volunteers helping cook, serve and deliver the food. To volunteer, contact Escalon Covenant Church at 838-7600. Monetary donations are also accepted to help defray costs of putting on the community dinner and can be mailed to EMA, P.O. Box 1, Escalon, CA 95320.
For home delivery of meals, contact Deanna Jackson at 838-6808 and leave a message about how many dinners are needed and the address for delivery.
Meanwhile, the Escalon Ministerial Association is also hosting its annual Christmas Fund Drive and donations are being accepted now for that effort at the same P.O. Box 1, Escalon address. Last year, the EMA raised and distributed over $16,000 and helped 189 local families with food vouchers for a hot, nutritious holiday meal. Checks can be made payable to Escalon Ministerial Association with ‘Christmas Fund’ in the memo line, and donations are appreciated by Monday, Dec. 7.
As part of the EMA effort, the community is welcome to join in for a service of Lessons and Carols at the Escalon Covenant Church on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m.
