News

Come and share Thanksgiving celebrations

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

Thanksgiving, the first of the winter holidays, is coming fast upon us. Time for food, fun and family.

But what happens if you have no family nearby, or friends can't visit? It just doesn't seem like a holiday if you have to celebrate it alone.

Then don't. Instead, come to dinner.

Several groups in our diocesan area are sponsoring free Thanksgiving dinners. Everyone who might be alone or not able to cook a meal is invited to attend. (Volunteers are also welcome and almost always needed.)

Below are listings of several area dinners. All are on Thursday, Nov. 27, unless otherwise noted:

APPLETON: Monarch Gardens, 2311 W. Spencer St., will be the site of noon dinner. Home delivery and transportation are available. Call Christ the Rock Community Church, (920)730-8383, for reservations or home deliveries by Nov. 22. Volunteers are needed to drive and deliver, as are financial donations; call the above number.

CHILTON: The Eagles Club will be the cooking site of the 21st annual Thanksgiving Day Express sponsored by eight area fire departments. Noontime meals will be delivered in Calumet County. Volunteers needed to prepare food and wash dishes.

To volunteer, come to the Eagles Club, at 1041 E. Chestnut (Hwy. 57) between 9 and 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving. To have a meal delivered, call the Dairy Queen at (920)849-9379.

Monetary donations, to "Thanksgiving Day Express," can be sent C/O 532 Irish Rd, Chilton 53014.

CLINTONVILLE: Knights of Columbus, Council 1992, will sponsor their 26th annual family-style dinner for senior citizens at 11:30 a.m. at Clintonville Community Center, 30 S. Main Street. Reservations needed by Nov. 21. Call the Center at (715)823-7667.

To make food donations, call Charlie Geiger at (715)823-6933. Homemade pies and monetary donations can be directed to Dick Writt at (715)823-7660. Mincemeat and pumpkin pies are especially needed.

ELLISON BAY: Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church, 11836 Hwy. 42, will have its eighth annual, community-wide Thanksgiving dinner at noon. All are welcome, but reservations are needed by Nov. 21. Call Eloise Lindem at (920)854-4458. (Please do not call the church.)

GREEN BAY: Christian Outreach, an ecumenical group, will sponsor noon dinner at the Atrium at Lambeau Field. (This replaces the dinners previously held at Ss. Peter and Paul and Nativity Parishes.) The day will start with an 11 a.m. prayer service, followed by a social. Games and fellowship will follow the meal until 3 p.m.

Carry-outs, childcare and free transportation are available. Reservations are necessary. Call Dorothy at (920)499-7476, Linda at 499-4486, Blanche at 468-1667 or Sue at 465-6826.

To volunteer or donate prizes or food, call Judeann Maslinski at (920) 499-5472. Send monetary donations to "Christian Outreach-Thanksgiving, 944 Regent Lane, Green Bay WI 54311.

KESHENA: St. Michael Parish will have Thanksgiving dinner from 1 to 4 p.m. Home deliveries are also available. Call the parish at (715)799-3811. Donations are also welcome. Registrations are appreciated by Nov. 24, but walk-ins will be welcome.

MENASHA: The Menasha Catholic Youth Alliance will host its fourth annual dinner from 4 to 7 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 22, at St. Mary Parish Center on Second St. Deliveries also available. Reservations are not needed, but to request deliveries, call (920)915-3071 and leave a message. Walk-ins accepted.

Volunteers for preparation and decoration (starting at 11 a.m.), serving and clean-up are needed. Donations of food are also needed. Call Lynn Fiestedt at the above number.

NEW LONDON: An ecumenical Thanksgiving dinner will be held at United Methodist Church, 709 W. Pine St. Six churches, including Most Precious Blood and St. Patrick, Lebanon, work together for this meal, held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Carry-outs and rides, with wheelchair-lift vans, are available. Call United Methodist at (920)982-4703 to schedule.

Also call to donate food, money or to volunteer. People for Wednesday prep work are also needed. No reservations are needed, but they are appreciated. Call the church.

OCONTO: An ecumenical dinner will be held at Holy Trinity Parish, 200 Jefferson at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24. Call Oconto NEWCAP (920)834-4621 or (800)242-7334, by Nov. 17, for reservations or to request carry-outs. Donations always accepted. Monetary donations may be sent to "Thanksgiving Meal," 1201 Main St., Oconto, WI 54153.

OSHKOSH: Father Carr's Place 2B, 1965 Oshkosh Ave., will host its 30th annual "Bread for Others" Thanksgiving Day Dinners from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and again from 4-6 p.m. Mass will be at 9 a.m. in the Martin de Porres chapel.

Rides and home-deliveries will be available for the noon meal. Call (920)231-2378 for reservations, to request a delivery, to volunteer or make donations.

Especially needed are drivers, as well as cooked turkey, salads and desserts. Monetary donations can be sent to "Bread for Others," Father Carr's Place 2B at the above address.

SHAWANO: First Presbyterian Church and Zion Lutheran Church are sharing work on a Thanksgiving dinner at noon at 1254 S. Lincoln St. Zion will be handling the sit-down meal; First Presbyterian will handle carry-outs and deliveries. Reservations must be made by Monday, Nov. 24. Call Zion at (715)526-2017 and call First Presbyterian at (715)527-3329.

Rides will be available. A free will offering will go to World Hunger. Volunteers are needed at both sites, as well as monetary donations and food, especially turkeys and pumpkin pies. Call either church.

STURGEON BAY: United Methodist Church, 836 Michigan St., will host a meal at 4:15 p.m. Call the church at (920)743-3241, by Nov. 24, for reservations, carry-outs or rides. No monetary donations needed, but pies and breads are welcome. Volunteers are also needed for set-up after 1:30 p.m. and to serve and clean-up. Call the church to volunteer.

WAUTOMA: St. Joseph Parish, 364 S. Cambridge St., will serve its 10th annual Thanksgiving Day dinner at 11:30 in the parish hall. For reservations, call the parish at (920)787-3848. Reservations are not necessary. Mass will be at 9 a.m. To volunteer or make donations, call Kathy House at (920)787-4014 or Helen Cox at 787-5900.

Especially needed are donations of turkey, desserts (also for diabetics), relishes, cheese, sausage and crackers. Volunteers are needed for cooking on Wednesday, and for set-up and serving. Messages can also be left at the church.