GARDINER — The volunteers arrived at 5:30 a.m., ready to prep the Thanksgiving meals.
Bright and early, the volunteers added turkey, stuffing, squash and mashed potatoes, among other favorites, to to-go meals that were then delivered by hand to homes in central Maine.
Jessica Eaton and her mother-in-law, Sharon Kane, were among the 20 people waiting for their names to be called to start their delivery route. It’s their third year volunteering at the Augusta Valley Scottish Rite’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner and they plan to do it again next year.
Giving back to the community is their favorite part of the holiday, they said, as did many of the other volunteers who were there not only for that reason, but also to spend time with family.
“We like to give back. We both had tough upbringings and want to give back to others to give them a better time,” Eaton said. “Some people don’t have a car for transportation, or food on their table. It’s about family. We don’t want anyone to be alone.”
Most of the volunteers at Thursday’s dinner mentioned that it’s especially important to help the community this year after so many people lost their SNAP benefits for the first part of November during the month-and-a-half-long government shutdown.
“It happened at a time where people are not being able to afford anything already,” Kane said.
Organizers at the Augusta Valley Scottish Rite’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner estimated that this year will be one of the busier years, comparable to the numbers they had before the pandemic.
They estimated the number of meals given out this year will be more than 600.
“Last year, we had 350 meals in total with deliveries, dine-ins and meals to go,” said Joe Hersom, one of the event’s organizers. “This year, we have 440 just in deliveries.”
To prepare, they ordered 23 turkeys and had the help of over 50 volunteers from the community.
Vicki Dill, a 22-year volunteer, made over 500 dinner rolls — that, she said, is a record.
The volunteers were set up at all corners of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley. Some packed boxes full of food, while others counted the boxes and assigned drivers to the meals.
The gym was decorated with tablecloths and turkey centerplates while volunteers rushed around and added the final touches in preparation for the diners to arrive at 11:30 a.m. ready to eat.
Among the early feasters were Jessica Pomerleau and her mother, Linda Pomerleau, along with Linda Pomerleau’s sister Sheila Cotnoir. It was Cotnoir’s first year at the dinner. She decided to join her niece and sister so they could spend the holiday together.
The Pomerleau’s started attending the dinner a few years ago after the death of Linda’s husband.
“I like being with the people and seeing their smiles,” Linda Pomerleau said, with Jessica Pomerleau adding that it’s nice to not only see the community, but also to spend the day with a different community than she would usually see.
“We just want to be together,” Linda Pomerleau said. “The day is about family.”
The annual dinner is hosted yearly by the Scottish Rite Masons, which are just one of the many branches of the Freemasons – an all male fraternity that has dozens of chapters in Maine.
Don Pratt, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Maine, explained that though there are several branches of the Freemasons, they typically come together for charity events, like Thursday’s.
