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Sharing the bounty; Fort Scott family gives back to the community
As many families gathered to share Thanksgiving dinner in their homes, Margie Schwalm was busy putting her family to work to feed others.
Schwalm, who has organized the Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the Elks Lodge for the past 14 years, still got to spend the traditional holiday with her family, just in a way that is a little different than most.
"All of my family is out there working on this in some capacity," Schwalm said Wednesday.
About 12 of her family members that otherwise would probably be sitting down to eat at her home joined Schwalm and a couple dozen other volunteers to help serve meals prepared for an expected 700 people on Thursday, including more than 320 meals delivered to people's homes.
Schwalm's husband, Ross Schwalm, who would coordinate about 15 vehicles that were used to deliver meals to the homebound, who might not otherwise be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. Ross also helps a little with the cooking, including 15 pounds of bacon and eight pounds of onions used to season 37 gallons of green beans.
Dylan Lloyd, 9, another soldier in Schwalm's Thanksgiving army of volunteers, was helping unload desserts and rolls donated by Community Christian Church and Parkway Church of God on Wednesday night as his grandmother was still answering calls for delivery requests. Dylan would also coordinate the drink station on Thursday.
She said that most of her volunteers are family and friends and the vast majority worked with her since day one.
"They come, and they keep coming and coming," Schwalm said. "The week leading up to Thursday is frantic and then everybody shows up and it comes together. It's hard work. When I leave there Thursday night, all I want is a hot bath and a bed."
Schwalm said 25 of the 30 turkeys were donated by the Elks, which Bill Brittain and Dale Snyder smoked and a crew of a dozen deboned Monday at the lodge.
She said Mercy Hospital was also set to pitch in with mashed potatoes and stuffing ingredients.
Schwalm said Wednesday that her crew would begin work at about 6 a.m. Thursday to begin final food preparation for deliveries at 10 a.m. and the meal at the lodge that would begin at 11:30 a.m.
Schwalm said the dinner has grown exponentially in the 14 years she has coordinated it.
"When I first fell into this, it was just for the needy," Schwalm said. "Some of the local churches were doing it and the last year they did it they served 35 meals."
Schwalm said she was at the Elks one night and overheard a discussion about who was going to do a Thanksgiving dinner since no one had heard about one that year. She said she was used to cooking for about that many people anyway, so it would be no problem for her to do it.
She said when she took it over she had no idea how many to prepare for.
"The first year I took it over, I had about 100 people," Schwalm said. "Because I opened it up to the community. I took the 'needy' out of it. It's for anybody."
She said Wednesday that she started sending out fliers to Meals on Wheels because they do not serve on Thanksgiving Day and also planned to take about 25 meals to Tri-Valley Developmental Services.
She also said that there are quite a few carryout dinners every year as well.
She said her son, David Schwalm, has commented that "you have created a monster that probably no one will ever want to take over."
But Schwalm might be eyeing her daughter-in-law Cindy Schwalm as a possible successor.
"She's right in the middle of the heat every year," Schwalm said. "And she's right in there with me."
Schwalm said all the work is not without its rewards.
"What makes it really worthwhile is all the one-meal delivery orders over there on my sheet," Schwalm said. "They are always so appreciative. It's what they look forward to every year and those are the people that say 'thank you, thank you, thank you' over and over again. It's a lot of work, but come Friday, we're glad it's over, but we are glad we did it."