FORT WORTH -- Sherri Carter has spent the last three years trying to recover from a freak accident.
She became disabled when a trailer accident nearly severed her right arm.When she heard about the Feast of Sharing, a free pre-holiday dinner offered Tuesday by Central Market, she couldn't wait to go, calling it a nice start to the holiday season.She got her neighbor Lynn Baker to drive from their Arlington apartment complex and brought her 2-year-old grandson, Trey Delandro, along to eat turkey, have a little ice cream and maybe get a photo with Santa."I'm sure we'll have something on Thanksgiving, but this just gives us a special day with turkey and dressing," Carter said. "We may have ham sandwiches -- I don't know -- but this definitely makes it feel like we've already had a Thanksgiving meal."The holiday event was started 24 years ago by Central Market's parent company, H-E-B, in Corpus Christi and Laredo. It has grown to include 30 cities in Texas and Mexico that will feed about 275,000 people this year.This is the first time the event has been held in Fort Worth.Central Market officials said they could serve up to 10,000 meals from a mobile kitchen that is trucked across the state, but they weren't projecting a turnout that big in the Fort Worth event's initial year. About 5,800 people had meals, organizers say."We've found that it takes a couple of years to get the word out," said Stephen Butt, senior vice president of Central Market. "But the response and the support from the community in Fort Worth have been outstanding, so we might do a little better than expected."More than 60 social service organizations set up tables at the event, held in the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.Free flu shots and a variety of books were offered to anyone who wanted them.To ensure that no one went hungry, the mobile kitchen was set to prepare up to 2,000 pounds of turkey, as well as 1,500 pounds of cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes and vegetables.There were also 6,000 rolls, 1,000 pumpkin pies, 80 gallons of giblet gravy and 60 gallons of cranberry sauce on hand.As part of the tradition, all who attend can eat as much as they like."I stopped at one, but my husband went for seconds," Brenda Waggoner said as her husband, James, worked on his second plate. "We'll have a Thanksgiving, but this is a good day for us, really good day."Many who attended had harrowing stories of medical or legal struggles. Some said they had almost lost hope over the last year."I don't know what I would have done for Thanksgiving, probably nothing," said a 45-year-old parolee who is living in a Fort Worth group home and didn't want to give his name."I don't know anyone here in Fort Worth -- I don't have any family," he said. "This is just where I was sent when I got out of prison. I'm not going to lie. It's been pretty difficult. I probably wouldn't have had a Thanksgiving this year without this."Bill Hanna, 817-390-7698Twitter: @fwhannaHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
