SPRINGDALE — Cooks often rise early on Thanksgiving Day. Volunteers at First Baptist Church in Rogers are no exception. Several will be at the church at 5 a.m., firing up parking lot smokers for 625 pounds of ham.
The church is one of several in Northwest Arkansas cooking Thanksgiving meals for the community at large. Others will host their own turkey-day dinners, with members contributing elements of the traditional feast.
The First Baptist effort is likely the largest, with some 2,400 meals planned. An army of volunteers will cook, dish up and deliver the meals to Rogers residents who sign up by Wednesday. The annual dinner is delivery only: there is simply no room for a sit-down event.
Anyone may request a meal, but the event targets the low-income and alone, said Vickie Cline, missionary in residence and coordinator of the meal.
“This is a very missionminded church. We share the love of God all over theworld,” she said. “We try to do as much as we can locally, too, and help people here.”
Other churches hosting community meals include Christian Life Cathedral in Bentonville, the Southside Church of Christ in Rogers and First United Methodist churches in Bentonville, Rogers and Siloam Springs. Wiggins Memorial United Methodist Church in Fayetteville is planning a twist on tradition with a free Thanksgiving Day breakfast.
The Bentonville Christian Ministerial Alliance is sponsoring a “Can the Hunger” Thanksgiving service at 7 p.m. Tuesday at First United Methodist Church in Bentonville. Area residents are invited to bring canned goods and monetary donations for nonprofit organization Helping Hands.
Some area Thanksgiving meals and services are listed below.
Thanksgiving Meals & Services
First United Methodist Church in Siloam Springs - Community Thanksgiving dinner, noon Thursday.
Carry-outs and deliveriesavailable after 11 a.m. Free for all. Information or delivery: David Graves at 524-3240 or [email protected], or the church office at 524-6111.
First Baptist Church in Rogers - Thanksgiving Day meal delivery in Rogers. Call 636-3451 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Wednesday to reserve a meal.
Southside Church of Christ in Rogers - Thanksgiving dinner, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday. Open to all.
Christian Life Cathedral in Bentonville - CLC Community Outreach, meal delivery only. Call 273-7775 by 4 p.m.
Wednesday to reserve a meal.
Wiggins Memorial United Methodist Church in Fayetteville - Free Thanksgiving Day breakfast, 9 a.m. Thursday. Information: 442-8633 between 9 a.m. and noon weekdays.
Rivers of Mercy Family Worship Center - Free Thanksgiving dinner, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale.
Drawings will be held every 15 minutes for door prizes.
Information: David Gosvener at 957-5998, Jeff Netherton at 879-1845, Gary James at 918-931-7667.
Religion, Pages 11 on 11/21/2009