Monday, November 29, 2010

Our Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving morning, we got up and reported to the local Agricultural Building to help out with the Community Thanksgiving Dinner.  There's our fearless leader.
Thanks to the Community Dinner Foundation, Topeka serves 3,000 meals on Thanksgiving Day. Their motto is "No One Need Dine Alone." Is that awesome, or what? We were two cars of 50 or so drivers that helped to deliver 1,600 of those meals. The rest of the meals were served to people in the Ag. Bldg. Anyone can come...seriously.

We gathered our boxes.
They were then filled with turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings. And pie, oh my! It smelled delish...like someone's grandmother had been cooking all morning. I was pretty much salivating for stuffing like nobodies business.
One last look at the map, and we were off.
Bruce, Travis, Talia and I headed out in our van to five different addresses. Grandpa and Grandma and Ella in another car to the five or so on their list. I don't have any pictures of Ella, but I hear she's thee master door bell ringer.
This was Talia and my view for the morning.
We took turns getting out, and delivering the meals. I had to hold myself back on this. I would have gotten out at every place and stayed an hour or so. I would've loved to have asked people which Macy's float was their favorite, what they love to eat, and hear about their Thanksgiving memories. Instead, we had heard there were more meals to deliver than drivers, so we did what anyone would do, we went back for more.
22 degrees? Bring it. We were in delivery mode. I couldn't get enough. Normally, I'd be complaining about the weather, but not this Thanksgiving. I didn't even really notice it was cold until I looked at the thermometer in our van. I was happy.
By the time we returned to Ag Hall at 12:30, all the meals had been delivered. I was relieved that everyone had gotten a meal before 1:00 pm, but sad that our part was over.
I like traditional Thanksgiving with my family around a big table.
But, I LOVED this.
It's a Community Thanksgiving dinner served ON Thanksgiving. Who does that?
They (the volunteers) serve people a meal, and includes anyone that needs a place to be.
Can't get out?
Not a problem, they bring it to you.

Well done, Topeka.
I might never want to do Thanksgiving the way we've always done it.
Instead I hear the voices of those who didn't have to dine alone on Thursday, and echo them.
I, too, am full.
Thank you.

11 comments:

  1. I LOVE this!! How cool that your family was able to do this all together. I can only imagine the memories your girls will have if you continue this tradition! Awesome!

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  2. Love this! What a memory you made for others and for yourself!!

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  3. Wow, what an awesome way to spend Thanksgiving! Trinity Mennonite had a dinner for church and community people. We had 42. Hope to have more next yr. Being thankful includes helping others.

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  4. Way to go Jost Family!

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  5. What a day of giving - that is great!!

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  6. Thanks for sharing - very inspiring!

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  7. Loved this!
    Literally filled my eyes with tears!
    :)

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  8. THIS is thanksgiving!
    so awesome.
    so much better than anything i did.
    love this so so SO MUCH!

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