Community dinner carries on tradition

Fort Scott, Kan. -- As she has for years, a Fort Scott woman is giving up the comforts of a cozy Thanksgiving dinner at home with her family to host a heartwarming event that includes community members from all walks of life.

Local resident Marjorie Schwalm will host a Community Thanksgiving Dinner free of charge to the public beginning at 11:30 a.m. and concluding at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, at the Elks Lodge, 111 W. 19, in Fort Scott.

Schwalm said that many years ago, area churches and local organizations joined together in order to conduct the annual Thanksgiving dinner, which at the time was created for those in town who could not afford to cook a Thanksgiving dinner of their own. About nine years ago, Schwalm discovered that the area churches and local organizations no longer wished to sponsor the Thanksgiving dinner. Since she was used to cooking a large Thanksgiving dinner for her family, Schwalm said, she decided she could handle organizing the community Thanksgiving dinner.

After committing to organizing the community-wide Thanksgiving dinner, Schwalm informed her family members that they would be spending Thanksgiving day at the Elks Lodge, making dinner for community members. She said that her family was extremely supportive of her plans. Now, Schwalm said, her family remains faithful and continues to offer help for the community event.

According to Schwalm, the first community Thanksgiving dinner that she and her family prepared attracted about 100 people. Since then, the numbers have grown substantially. For the last few years, the community Thanksgiving dinner has served about 500 meals each year, she said.

Schwalm said the community Thanksgiving dinner has become a social event for some of the local citizens. She said many people come, eat and then stay for awhile and visit with old friends or new friends they meet at the dinner.

The dinner is important to many different local citizens for many different reasons, she said. Some older couples attend the dinner, because it is too difficult to make a Thanksgiving dinner for two people. Attending the Thanksgiving dinner is easier and more enjoyable than spending the day at home alone. Other families may not be able to afford to purchase the ingredients for their own dinner at home, she said.

Schwalm said that in addition to her family members, the event would not be possible if it were not for the help of other people in town. She said one local man shows up at the dinner just to wash the dishes for the event. After he is finished with the dishes, he takes dinner home for himself and his wife, who is not able to accompany him due to health reasons.

There are many other people who volunteer, as well. Schwalm said she makes homemade noodles and green beans for the occasion, and the Elks Lodge donates turkeys, which Schwalm's husband Ross and Mark Wiggans will be cooking for the event this year. Community Christian Church will also lend a hand by providing all of the desserts for the dinner. In addition, Mercy Health Center will furnish potatoes and stuffing mixes.

Schwalm said she and her volunteers will gladly deliver Thanksgiving meals if requested.

For more information about volunteering at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner or to request a meal delivery, contact Schwalm at (620) 223-1521.