Family traditions being forged at J.C. parish Thanksgiving Dinner

It makes Mike Schnieders happy to see parents bring their children to help with Immaculate Conception parish’s community Thanksgiving meal in Jefferson City each year.

It helps reinforce the “giving” in Thanksgiving.

“They’re showing their kids that this is part of being thankful — taking care of your brothers and sisters in the community,” he said.

Mr. Schnieders and his wife Cindy have been overseeing the massive meal for 11 years.

“It’s an amazing event,” he said.

This year, scores and scores of volunteers prepared and served a traditional Thanksgiving feast to 1,064 people.

Volunteers delivered about 500 of those meals to people who are homebound in the community.

Approximately 400 more meals were served and sent home with people who dropped by.

Some 70 people dined in the warm confines of the Immaculate Conception School cafeteria.

About 100 more were served in the community room at Dulle-Hamilton Towers apartment complex, where Audrey Kauffmann heads up the serving operation each year.

“This is simply an amazing group of parishioners,” said Mr. Schnieders.

Gathered together

It’s hard to keep track of the number of volunteers who bring an operation of this magnitude into being.

People sign up to donate food, help prepare it, serve it, deliver it, and clean up.

“We break it down into all kinds of categories, and people can go online and sign up to donate their time,” said Mr. Schnieders.

Parishioner John Bryan works in the poultry industry and asks the Cargill Corporation to donate the turkeys.

The company has graciously done so 11 times.

Volunteers pitch in to prepare the food.

“This year, we cooked about 900 pounds of turkey — which is about 435 pounds once it’s cooked,” said Mr. Schnieders.

Volunteers arrive in the school kitchen at 6 a.m. on the Sunday before Thanksgiving to roast the turkeys, then de-bone the meat, slice it, prepare the gravy and refrigerate everything until it’s time to serve.

The day before Thanksgiving, Patricia Dohmen, her family and her crew make homemade dinner rolls and prepare the stuffing.

That’s also when volunteers peel and mash 420 pounds of potatoes.

People donate dozens of desserts and the rest of the fixins’.

“If you’re feeding over 1,000 people, just think of how many slices of pie and cake that comes to!” said Mr. Schnieders.

Then there are the ones who serve up meals and those who deliver them to the hopes of those who call and ask for it.

Others visit with the guests who come to eat-in or carry-out. These hosts carry information about available resources for people who are in need.

Our Lord present

The inspiration for all of this came to the Schniederses after they and their children helped prepare and serve a meal at the Salvation Army Center of Hope Shelter in Jefferson City.

“Cindy made the comment that we should do something like that at church, because the need is all around us,” Mr. Schnieders recalled.

They talked to Monsignor David Cox, who was pastor at the time, and the first I.C. Thanksgiving dinner was held the following year.

“God has been at the center of this from the very beginning,” said Mr. Schnieders. “The Holy Spirit has been in charge. We started this thing to help teach our family the importance of taking care of our neighbors, and look what it’s turned into!”

He said that in spite of all the advance preparation, it’s “pure madness” in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day.

“But it’s actually the neatest thing,” he said. “Really, the most enjoyable part of the whole thing for me is seeing the parishioners, my brothers and sisters in Christ, all pitch in and work hard and get it done.

“God is Who’s leading this!” he said. “God is leading the whole charge.”

In this celebration

Mr. Schnieders noted that there’s always plenty for everyone in the family to do.

“My wife is really good about making a list of jobs for kids of all ages,” he said. “Whether it’s folding silverware in napkins — there are all kinds of little jobs so everyone can help.”

Several people told him that volunteering for the meal has become a Thanksgiving tradition for their families — and one they plan to continue observing.

Mr. Schnieders sees young people learning from their parents.

“They see their Mom and Dad helping out, they get excited about it and want to keep doing it,” he said.

He hopes such opportunities to serve as individuals and as families have a lasting effect.

“It helps reinforce that we really do have to take care of our brothers and sisters in the community, no matter where we are — whether it’s Thanksgiving or any other day of the year,” he said.

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Also on Thanksgiving Day, members and friends of St. Vincent de Paul parish in Sedalia delivered 555 meals and served about 100 more to people in the hall at St. Patrick Chapel.

“We have so many wonderful volunteers to help with the whole process, along with guidance from our loving God!” said parishioner Mary Jo Ballenger.

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Volunteers and friends of St. Anthony parish in Camdenton served 571 free meals — eat-in, carry-out and deliveries — during the parish’s 14th annual Caring & Sharing Dinner on Thanksgiving.

"The spirit of caring was also in evidence by the number of volunteers who helped prepare the meal, serve the meal, wash dishes, deliver meals and assis in many others ways," the event's organizers stated.

Volunteers included entire families, some with small children. Many were from other Christian congregations in the area.