Thanksgiving meals donated across city
By Phyllis Moore and Kirsten Ballard
Published in News on November 26, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Victoria Lucas and Melody Lee hand out a Thanksgiving turkey and side items at the Goldsboro Worship Center Saturday afternoon. Nearly 300 meals were given out to members of the community during the event.
In Wayne County, local residents have captured the season of giving mentality.
This year marks the sixth annual "Thanksgiving in a Bag" campaign sponsored by Gateway Community Church, providing full holiday meals for needy families in Wayne and Wilson counties.
The campaign has grown progressively over the years, pastor Thayer Stamper said.
"I'm thinking the first year we delivered maybe 48 total meals. Last year we did 132 and this year we're going to be right at 157, 158," he said. "It's gotten bigger every year. It's just a great way for us to partner with those in our community and be able to feed hungry people."
The congregation starts well in advance of the holiday to make the necessarily preparations for the drive.
Church member Brittani Schultze-Gardner said that social workers from Wayne County Public Schools are instrumental in providing a list of families in need at holiday time.
"To protect the families' confidentiality, the church delivers the meals to the schools themselves for them to distribute in the few days prior to Thanksgiving Day," she said. "Gateway also works closely with other charitable agencies, such as the Wayne Pregnancy Care Center, to meet their clients' needs during this season, and the church maintains a running list of others such as shut-ins, widows and low-income families of this community to help during this time each year."
Armed with a list of potential recipients, the church gets to work -- collecting food and donations for distribution. They also participate in shopping, bagging and delivering.
"They bag everything, including a roasting pan and 10- to 12-pound turkey," Mrs. Gardner said.
"It's the entire list," her pastor added. "Corn, green beans, stuffing, yams, a dessert kit."
And while they are not doing it for credit, Stamper said the volunteers have probably been as blessed as the recipients themselves.
"There's been several times everybody was in tears," he said.
The minister also credited the surrounding community with supporting the holiday gesture, from businesses donating some of the food to congregants "cleaning out their pantry" or residents chipping in with a financial gift.
"It's not about our story," he said. "It's about what the Lord is doing in the community. We're just thankful to be part of it all."
The ripple effect of giving can be felt across the county, as others also stepped up to ensure others also have a special holiday.
Steve Matthews, who founded his business, Matthews Motors, on the principle of the Golden Rule, believes that Thanksgiving is about giving back.
This year, he contacted five local radio stations and announced that Matthews Motors was going to hold a turkey giveaway.
He has been involved in a similar event at his Clayton location, but this was the first time that the Berkeley Boulevard site would attempt a charitable donation of this size.
One hundred 15-pound turkeys were purchased and stored in a trailer.
Families could be nominated for the free turkeys at the car lot and through the radio stations.
Then, Matthews contacted families to inform them that they were getting a free bird for their Thanksgiving Day feast.
In the first hour, Matthews gave away 40 turkeys.
"They've been really appreciative," he said. "Some said if it wasn't for this, they wouldn't have a meal."
"We're trying to help out Wayne County," added Tim Cottle, another employee of Matthews Motors. "We're calling everybody to come over."
Cottle and other co-workers helped out at the event. They welcomed community members and helped get the turkeys to the cars.
Matthews also gave out tissue containers for cars.
Slowly, the supply of turkeys diminished from the back of the trailer. They donated the excess to the Community Soup Kitchen.
"It's all part of giving back," Matthews said.
Members of Goldsboro Worship Center also wanted to pass along some blessings, and wound up giving 300 Thanksgiving meals to local families in need.
Volunteers arrived at 10 a.m. to beginning packaging together Thanksgiving meals for the pre-registered families. Registration for the meals started the first week of November.
The donated meal included stuffing, cake mix, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn muffin mix, two cans of green beans, two cans of corn and a 10- to 16-pound turkey.
Student and outreach pastor Michael Hamm oversaw the operation.
"We want to pass the blessing along," he said. "We are blessed to be a blessing," Hamm said. "Thanksgiving is about being thankful."