Thumbnail photo: Denise Doyle-Schnacker volunteers at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner in 2022. While all the volunteer slots are taken for this year’s dinner, monetary donations are always welcome and appreciated, Crescent City Foursquare Church Pastor Roger Bodenstab says.
With 160 people signed up, Foursquare Church no longer needs volunteers to heat up and dish out a Thanksgiving meal for Del Norte on Thursday.
But its pastor, Roger Bodenstab, says the church is prepared to serve roughly 1,000 meals and could always use donations.
“The need is always financial,” he told Redwood Voice Community News. “We order everything in bulk and we’re using the Crescent Elk kitchen to prepare the food. Everything is done in bulk to get it done efficiently and effectively.”
On Monday, Julie Bjorkstrand, director of Del Norte Unified School District’s Nutrition Services Department, said 40 turkey roasts will be cooked for the Community Thanksgiving Dinner and 108 pumpkin pies are in the refrigerator.
The Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds. It’s been a Del Norte tradition for nearly 40 years, Bodenstab said, adding that there was a time when, in addition to serving the meal and setting up the dining area at the main hall, volunteers would cook dozens of turkeys for the feast.
This year, with the Thanksgiving Dinner coming on the heels of the pause in SNAP benefits as a result of the federal government shutdown, Bodenstab said there will likely be an increase in the number of meals served. In addition to the 160 volunteers signed up to set up, serve and tear down before, during and after the feast, Bodenstab said Del Norte Unified School District has donated the use of its kitchen and staff to heat the food up.
Foursquare Church has also received financial help from the Wild Rivers Community Foundation and the Humboldt Area Foundation, Bodenstab said.
Foursquare Church began preparing for the Community Thanksgiving Dinner around the time the Emergency Food Task Force had mobilized around a pause in November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits due to the federal government shutdown. The SNAP pause affected about 3,900 local families.
On Nov. 10, Bodenstab said in addition to Thanksgiving, Foursquare Church holds a Care Free Breakfast ministry on Saturdays. On Nov. 1 — the first day of the SNAP pause — the church fed about 130 people, he said. On Nov. 8, that number had increased to 180.
“In March and April, we were serving 150 to 175 breakfasts so it’s not necessarily an increase of what we would normally be doing in the season,” Bodenstab said, “But it’s an increase over last year. Last year, at this time, we were doing 120 breakfasts.”
Bodenstab estimated that most of the people who attended the Care Free Breakfasts are eligible for SNAP.
Foursquare Church also holds a Laundry Love Ministry the last Saturday of the month. Bodenstab said ministry members are planning to wash between 150 and 200 loads of laundry at the Econo Wash on H Street at the upcoming Laundry Love this weekend.
Foursquare Church has also hosted a barrel to collect holiday food for Pacific Pantry as well.
We love our community and the ways we can help serve and partner,” Bodenstab said. “We’ve seen the different organizations who are stepping up this month. It’s incredible.”
On Monday, Bjorkstrand said she had just finished distributing about 600 Thanksgiving break meal bags to Del Norte students.
“It was a crazy busy morning, but it seems that the meal distribution was incredibly successful and most, if not all, locations have run out of bags,” she said. “We managed to feed a good number of kiddos today.”
For more information on how to donate for the Thanksgiving Dinner, click here.
The Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held from noon-2 p.m. Thursday at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds. All are welcome.
