No one has to spend Thanksgiving alone – that’s the idea behind Escalon’s annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner and the final preparations are being made, with the Escalon Community Center being set up today, Wednesday, in advance of the feast on Thursday.

Along with serving up the homemade traditional Thanksgiving dinner, the corps of volunteers also makes sure there are meals for takeout and drivers take meals to those who are elderly, ill or shut in and cannot make it to the Community Center to share the holiday.

With financial backing from the Escalon Ministerial Association, the dinner has been put on for more than a dozen years and most of that time has been hosted at the community center. This year, Mr. Haynes BBQ Catering is providing the cooking and labor to serve up the feast.

Escalon Covenant Church also is working to coordinate donations and the volunteer workers. Drivers are needed to deliver meals, to help with the Wednesday set up, serving to those dining in on Thursday and also to help with the clean-up following the community meal. To volunteer in any of those areas or for more information on how to get involved, call Stephanie Wheeler at 918-6966.

Monetary donations to help defray costs of the meal are also still being accepted; mail them to the Escalon Ministerial Association, P.O. Box 1, Escalon, CA 95320.

For those in the community that can’t get to the Community Center and need a meal delivered, contact DeeAnna Jackson at 209-838-6808 and leave a message with your name, address, phone number and how many meals you need delivered on Thanksgiving Day.

Serving at the Community Center, corner of Escalon-Bellota and Arthur roads, will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27 and those planning to attend can come at any time during those hours. The meal includes all the traditional fare, from turkey and stuffing to salad and pumpkin pie. Those attending do not go away hungry, said organizers.