Photos: Local Organizations Serve Thanksgiving Dinner

Free Thanksgiving dinner was served by volunteers this past Thursday at the United Methodist Church and Hagerman Fire Department in Patchogue and East Patchogue.

The United Methodist Church on Church Street in Patchogue Village held its on Nov. 25. The early dinner provided a hot meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed or sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, Spanish rice and a large variety of desserts. All of the food was donated and prepared by local community members. Warm clothing was also donated.

Close to fifty volunteers from local churches and youth groups helped to cook the food and serve the guests during the three-hour dinner service.  Nearly one hundred people attended. Enthusiastically overseeing the event was Reverend Ernesto Sanchez.

Karen Erickson, a first-time volunteer from Holtsville, says, "I was talking to my daughter and she said 'wouldn't it be great to do something to help people on Thanksgiving.'" Sixteen-year-old Alyssa Masseria agreed, "It's so nice to help people and make them feel better."

Hagerman Fire Department of East Patchogue also held their second annual ecumenical gathering on Thanksgiving morning. Hosted by five different local churches, the festive event featured a hot meal followed by a large variety of desserts. Funding was donated by organizations, community members and church groups.

Staffed by volunteers from the fire department, churches and youths from the Bellport Key Club, the event served approximately sixty people. "It's an extraordinary response and example of how generous the community is," commented Catherine Andrejack, Parish Outreach Coordinator of St. Joseph the Worker Church of East Patchogue.

Reverend Tom Philipp, Pastor at the Old Southaven Presbyterian Church, noted: "What we try to emphasize here is that we are all guests; we don't want to separate those who are serving from those being served. In my prayer today I put the emphasis on the fact that [in the United States] we have a holiday for independence. Thanksgiving is really a 'dependence' day. We depend on one another."