LBFE prepares to serve over 1,200 meals during Thanksgiving

Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly will serve over 1,200 meals across the Copper Country on Thanksgiving Day. Ahead of the big holiday and annual tradition for many elderly friends, the organization has begun organizing volunteers. The Thanksgiving meal locations around the area include sit-in sites and delivery sites serving seniors from Baraga to Ontonagon and Calumet to Tapiola.

We know that our volunteers are busy. Some of them like to just come in and cut up the turkey or make the stuffing. But then other ones come in. When our volunteers come in, we ask that they sit down and enjoy the meal with the elders, have a good conversation, and learn about each other. So it’s a very fun and festive atmosphere to be in. – Pam Lowney, Program Director, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly

Thanksgiving starts about an hour before meal sites open, with volunteers helping prepare meals and set up tables. Then dinner lasts for about another hour and a half. LBFE Program Director Pam Lowney says clean-up takes about the same amount of time as set-up. Adding that the more volunteers sign up for clean-up slots, the quicker it will go and the faster volunteers can return to the family dinner table.

So we try to have the meal earlier in the day so then that way if a volunteer would like to do something with their family. If they haven’t brought the family to the site and celebrated Thanksgiving there, there is time for them to do something for dinner as well. – Pam Lowney, Program Director, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly

Little Brothers has several bakeries in the region that donate desserts for meal sites like pumpkin pies. But the Thanksgiving meals will accept community-donated desserts too. Lowney says that the community has been a strong supporter of the meal sites in past years with different fruit-based desserts.

And then we’re also looking for meal delivery drivers. So people, for the elders that can’t make it to our site, we have volunteers that sign up and they deliver to an average of about three households. That way they can visit with the elder if they’re receptive to a visit and they’re able to get their Thanksgiving dinner that way. – Pam Lowney, Program Director, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly

Thanksgiving meal sites will open at 1 pm on November 28th. Seniors interested in joining the fun at the meal sites should contact the little brothers and friends of the elderly office. Volunteers interested in providing help in the kitchen, serving, entertaining seniors, or helping clean up meal sites should also contact the LBFE office. Anyone interested in learning more about Thanksgiving with the Little Brother’s friends of the elderly can find more details here.