A community tradition

Tiger and Lolly Evans were regulars as volunteers at the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner.

A anonymous donor pays for the food, that usually attracts several hundred people. Volunteers do all the work — serving, preparing, driving food to shut ins and cleaning up.

The Evanses are snowbirds now, heading south every winter and miss the work they always did on Thanksgiving.

They miss the volunteer work, though they love the weather.

But the family tradition has been continued - in spades.

"We have about 10 family members here today," said Brenda Evans.

The men drive meals to shut-ins, she said. The women usually serve.

"We don't intend to be sexist in our jobs," she said laughing, as she waited for her assignments at St. Jude Parish Center Thursday morning.

Tiger and Lolly will still be part of the effort. The Evans family took a picture that will be sent to the snowbirds.

This year, another member was added to the Evans volunteer family.

Andy Bradshaw was a first-time volunteer.

"I married her, so here I am," he said, pointing to Laura Evans.

The Evans tradition is not unusual.

New family traditions were being started as parents brought their children along to volunteer Thursday morning.

Kendell Pleninger, 11, said he came to volunteer to help people have a nice Thanksgiving and to do community service.

Then he added, as his brothers stood nearby, " ... and my mom said I had to."

Despite the icy streets, the large group of volunteers showed up in time to start preparing the meals.

Work began earlier in the week.

"We were here last night setting up the tables," said volunteer Trygve "Spike" Magelssen. "This morning, I'm delivering food to people at their homes."

The first step in Thursday's work is to form an assembly line.

People with styrofoam dinner plates walked through the serving line, getting turkey, potatoes, corn and other Thanksgiving goodies at each stop.

The completed dinners were placed in boxes that were given to drivers and taken off to hungry people all over town.

Herman Handstede was happy to be the turkey man in his first year as volunteer.

Next to him was Kristen Comstock, another newcomer who was dishing out butter.

Brenda Neiffer had worked for the Salvation Army for years. She quit to get her degree in nursing, but missed working with and for other people.

"I just couldn't stay at home," she said.

Vince Woodwick was on hand to drive food to people at home.

"Never done this before," he said. "It's sounds like fun."

He volunteered because he volunteers for so many other projects, he said.

There was only one qualm, said his wife.

"We have to be here at 8:30," he said. "I'm not one to get up that early."