It is called The Community Thanksgiving and for the last 22 years Christ Fellowship Church (formerly FUMC of Magee) has served citizens of Magee and the surrounding areas a traditional Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day.
“It was started with a Sunday school class that Tom Sparks taught. That first Thanksgiving we decided to do it was Tom Sparks, Willette and Charles Coward, Roy and I, Betty Wade and Marge King. Those are the ones that stand out. We did everything and I think we fed 25 people that first Thanksgiving. We were so proud of ourselves that we had accomplished this!” said Julia Montz, the church member who oversees the event.
Montz said that when she and her husband Roy were living in Marietta, GA, was a man called Hosea Williams provided several holiday meals for the homeless in downtown Atlanta, including Thanksgiving. He founded a nonprofit in 1971called Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. Williams “was an American civil rights leader, activist, ordained minister, businessman, philanthropist, scientist and politician. He may be best known as a trusted member of fellow famed civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King, Jr.’s inner circle,” as cited in www.4hosea.org.
Montz explained, “It got to the place that he would feed thousands of people. When we came to Magee and went to the Methodist Church and were in that Sunday school class, we were talking about what we were doing for Thanksgiving. I told them about Hosea Williams. I thought we needed to be the Hosea Williams of Magee. That’s how it got started.”
On average the meal is served to 400-450 people. Montz makes clear that it is comMany in the church help to bring the meal to fruition including Jason Childres and Al Bruce, who spend the 24 hours before Thanksgiving smoking 20-25 turkeys for the plates. “They are so important!” Montz said.
James Ainsworth, meat department manager with Piggly Wiggly, makes sure that the turkeys are all of uniform size so the birds can be smoked evenly. Montz’ husband runs numerous errands in the days before. Bridgette Lee picks up 60 plates Thanksgiving Day to distribute to residents of Raleigh Annex, primarily the elderly who would not have a meal otherwise.
Serving to the community is from 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon but volunteers arrive early at 8:00 a.m. to begin pulling turkey and cutting up the brownies. Everything is homemade provided by the families in the church as well as others in the community. The plates also include sweet potato casserole, dressing, seasoned green beans cooked fresh that morning and rolls. In addition, they try to put enough food on the plate so everyone has leftovers for another meal.
The event is funded strictly by donations, monetarily and food wise. Montz pointed out that the cost of 25 turkeys adds up quickly but there has never been a time they did not have the monies to make the necessary purchases. “One Sunday several years ago I stood up in front of the church like I usually do to announce what we were going to do and I told them it was going to be up to them whether Thanksgiving continued. We were out of money. I asked them if you don’t want to, we won’t. If you want to I still need your dressing and your sweet potatoes but I also need some contributions. That Sunday we had more than $1,000 collected for Thanksgiving. That was my answer. I never have had to do it again.”
Those who volunteer make memories that last a lifetime. Year after year some elderly couples come in early to enjoy coffee and donuts, and visits from the volunteers. “It’s a lot of work but we enjoy it. It’s gotten to be a family atmosphere. It’s not just handing out food. I hug the people who come in that I’ve seen so many times. It’s just what it should be…it’s a Hosea Williams Thanksgiving.”
