Alle-Kiski Valley volunteers ensure no one goes hungry, lonely on Thanksgiving

While many are thankful for their own family on Thanksgiving, Madolyn Hyde was thankful for another.

Hyde was among those who came to Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church in Leechburg on Thursday for the free dinner now in its 10th year put on by Jamie Rimmel, members of her family and other volunteers.

“The family that has done this is wonderful,” Hyde said. “And they’re teaching the young people what it means to give and help.”

Across the Alle-Kiski Valley, volunteers took time from their own holiday to prepare and serve meals so those less fortunate did not go without, and those alone did not feel left out.

Rimmel said they were prepared to serve 150 meals on Thursday, more than double from the 60 served in 2013. Of those, they expected about 100 to eat at the church, with the rest picked up or delivered.

At Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum, they were preparing for about the same number of diners, church elder Dave Rankin said.

“We always get a lot of walk-ins,” he said.

Their dinner started much smaller in 1995, serving widows, widowers and other members of the congregation who didn’t have any family to share Thanksgiving with.

Now, in addition to serving meals in the church basement, they either deliver food to people, or bring them to the church to eat.