Schoharie County isn’t letting one of its best-loved traditions—its Community Thanksgiving Dinner—fall by the wayside, even in 2020 and even during COVID.
The meal, begun in 1989, will provide only home-delivered Thanksgiving meals this year—no sit-down, no pickups--said longtime organizer Kevin Neary.
But after getting the OK from partners Rehabilitation Support Services, which handles the cooking, and the Office for the Aging, which helps with reservations, that’s a big deal—especially since they expect demand to be at an all-time high.
“We’re late getting to this, but it’s so, so important that we do it this year,” Mr. Neary said.
“We’ve seen the lines at the food give-aways…We know the need is there. We’re glad that we’re going to be able to make it happen. We’re glad we were able to find a way.”
Though in the past, the Community Thanksgiving has reached out for donations of food, Mr. Neary said what they really need this year is money.
And maybe drivers.
“Money let’s us stretch our buying power,” he said, “and this year, it’s a way to keep things safe.
“All of the appropriate COVID safety rules and regulations will be followed in meal prep and delivery. It’s going to make things a little harder, but we’re confident we can make it all work.”
Initially, Mr. Neary said, with all of the meals home-delivered, he’d put out a call for extra drivers.
But now, going through the list of those who’d helped out in the past, they might have enough.
The effort is asking for meal reservations with a 911 address 0by Wednesday, November 18; call the OFA at (518)295-2001.
To make a monetary donation, help out, or get your name on the list of possible drivers just in case, email Mr. Neary at KNeary92@gmail.com.