Churches make Thanksgiving brighter, serving more than 800 meals today in Albion

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The kitchen inside the Harvest Christian Fellowship church was busy this afternoon when 630 Thanksgiving meals were served at the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen. Pictured from left include Mary Delamarter and Rick Huntington of Harvest Christian Fellowship, and Javonnie & Melisa Canales of the Oasis Church in Medina.

Faith Smith, leader of the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, is thrilled to have more than 30 volunteers helping to serve the Thanksgiving meals for free today. The 630 that were served today is up from the 350 a year ago on Thanksgiving.

Smith personally delivered 85 meals to senior citizens and other people in the community.

“Nobody should have to be alone or go hungry,” Smith said.

Another church in Albion, the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries, served about 200 Thanksgiving meals from Renovation Masonic Lodge. That is up from 182 a year ago.

The meals were all available at no charge.

The Risen Café prepared the desserts – apple and pumpkin cake at Harvest Christian Fellowship. A line of volunteers is ready to serve the meals which were available to eat-in, for take-out or to have delivered.

Matt and Sharon Sugar of Harvest Christian Fellowship have to-go bags ready with Thanksgiving meals.

There were 40 turkeys cooked for today’s meals at the OK Kitchen.

Debbie Coon serves coffee to Janice Callahan of Albion. Callahan said she appreciated the church welcoming so many from the community for Thanksgiving.

“There’s a lot of good people here,” Callahan said. “They are very loving. We are all friends here.”

Mark Hartleden said he has been coming to the kitchen for about a decade.

“It’s delicious, it’s stupendous,” he said. “They are bringing people together.”

Alicia Rich and Debbie Thies work together in the kitchen.