Published: November 02, 2009 08:47 am      

Holiday donations, volunteers needed

Shut-ins and elderly residents have been enjoying Thanksgiving dinner delivered to their doors for 29 years, thanks to a local program dedicated to providing nutritious food to those who are unable to cook a hot meal.

Home Meals Delivery program is planning this year’s holiday feast and needs continued support from the community to make it happen, said Syble Miller, Home Meals Delivery board president.

In addition to providing 60 daily meals to Madison County residents, approximately 300 people receive the holiday meal, Miller said.

The board recently mailed its annual letter asking for monetary donations, and the organization is looking for volunteers to help deliver Thanksgiving meals.

“On Thanksgiving Day morning, we need people to come to the Baptist Campus Ministry to deliver meals. They don’t have to sign up, we just trust that enough people will come,” Miller said.

The days leading up to Thanksgiving, Miller said she could use help with baking cakes and other items for the meals.

“Anyone can come to help get cakes baked,” she said. “We also need people to cut up onions and celery and things like that. We can’t do it all on Thanksgiving morning.”

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Miller said she will be at the BCM by 9 a.m. and would love to have volunteers.

Monetary donations are requested to help Home Meals purchase the food for Thanksgiving and for daily meals.

“Small gifts or large gifts are appreciated,” Miller said.

Donations are tax deductible and can be mailed to treasurer Mary Dufour in care of Home Meals Delivery at 154 Lakeshore Drive, Richmond, Ky. 40475.

“Through community support with donations, we’re able to do this every day,” Miller said. “Several churches have us in their budget and we have regular donors. (Meal) recipients pay a little bit. Some pay $2.50, which is the maximum anybody pays.”

“We’ve been doing this a long time. I think the community realizes this service is for people who are unable to fix a hot meal,” she said.

To volunteer or learn more about Home Meals Delivery, call Miller at 623-8556 or 623-3294.

To receive a Thanksgiving meal, call the Richmond Fire Department at 624-4774 or Berea Fire Department at 986-2898. The meals will be delivered between 10:30 a.m. and noon on Thanksgiving Day.