News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
DeKalb County’s Emergency Services Association will be delivering meals throughout the community Thursday.
Vice President Blake Cantrell said the county’s different emergency services will work with additional volunteers to provide a warm meal to anyone in need on the holiday. Cantrell said a lot of the meal orders come from citizens who are elderly or just cannot afford a Thanksgiving meal of their own.
“We just want them to know that there’s somebody out there that cares,” Cantrell said. “We want them to know that there are people that are willing to sacrifice their Thanksgiving morning to cook a meal, to deliver a meal, to show up.”
Cantrell said the association delivers meals because the goal is to support people who cannot get out and drive to pick food up. Cantrell said the program serves eight hundred to eight hundred fifty meals each year.
“We do have some people that come and pick up their meals, but that’s not our primary focus,” Cantrell said. “Our primary focus is to prepare and deliver Thanksgiving dinner to people that are at home.”
Cantrell said the association does not require people to share their income or prove any kind of hardship to be eligible for a meal. Cantrell said it is a community effort as there are more volunteers that help with the meals from throughout the county than those in the emergency services.
“People are really willing and want to help,” Cantrell said. “People inherently want to help other people and we’re giving them an avenue to do that.”
Cantrell said the association began the effort in 2017 after it began looking for an extra way to support local citizens. Cantrell said around two hundred fifty meals were served that first year.
“We will have smoked turkey with dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, a roll, and a homemade dessert,” Cantrell said.
Cantrell said the association does the same thing again on Christmas Eve and usually provides even more meals for that holiday.
