Two local groups step up for Thanksgiving meals

MILTON – Two local groups are taking care of Thanksgiving meals for area senior citizens and anyone who might need a place to go eat for the holiday.

The Milton Community Center once again booked its limit of 100 spots for its annual Thanksgiving Senior Dinner on Thursday, which goes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the Thanksgiving meal served at noon. And just like last year, there will be Bingo after the meal.

Also in Milton, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church (6451 Park Avenue) will be serving a Thanksgiving meal for “anyone who might not otherwise” have one, according to its flyer. The meal goes from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. – or “until all the food is gone,” according to the church.

St. Rose of Lima’s parishioners are sponsoring the meal at the church.

The Milton Community Center hosts its dinner with the assistance of the Santa Rosa County Homemakers, Ginny Hinton with the Santa Rosa County Extension Office and the Blackwater Pyrates as well as turkey chef Bubba Drinkard who volunteers by deep frying 12 turkeys.

This year’s Senior Dinner was already booked to its maximum capacity on Nov. 14.

“We have 100 people signed up, but there will be more people than that in there because we’ll also have about 20 volunteers,” said Milton Community Center Senior Program Director Joe Paschal. “I’m going to buy 10-12 14-pound turkeys and drop them off for one of our volunteers, and he’ll cook them for us and has them ready on Thanksgiving Day.”

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Two local groups step up for Thanksgiving meals