Haltom City church determined to put on Thanksgiving spread despite setbacks from COVID
Volunteers are gearing up for the frenzy of smoking turkeys, preparing cornbread dressing, and making sure there is enough cranberry sauce for the hundreds of people who will gather at the Christian Center of Fort Worth on Thanksgiving.
Gaye Vanzant, a member of the pastoral staff at the church, said the congregation has been serving meals for over 20 years.
“We are encouraged, and we have everything set up,” she said.
The church prepares enough food for 1,200 people and generally feeds between 800 and 1,000.
Vanzant said if it rains on Thanksgiving, the sanctuary is set up so that people can wait inside.
Everyone who comes to the Christian Center of Fort Worth, at 4301 NE 28th St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday will sit down to a hot meal and leave with a bag of groceries, and the church also has coats to give, she said.
This year, the church faced challenges in getting turkeys because of the shortage. Vanzant described driving to several stores because the restaurant supplier couldn’t provide all of the turkeys needed for the Thanksgiving meal.
Vanzant said she also learned there is a cranberry shortage.
Volunteers will start arriving before Thanksgiving to prepare the turkeys and the trimmings.
The church even uses Sunday school classrooms so that there is enough space for the volunteers to prepare the meals.
Facing hardships
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, the church set up a drive-through for the Thanksgiving meals, and resumed the in-person gatherings last year.
Vanzant said the congregation has “dwindled in size because of COVID,” and the church’s income is also down.
The church also suffered other setbacks including burst pipes, flooding and a lightning strike. But the members are determined to keep going, she said.
After the Thanksgiving holiday, the church will get ready to serve Christmas dinner and provide each child with a gift.
Vanzant said many seniors will show up for the Christmas meal, as it is a time when many are lonely and are reaching out for support.