Published: November 26, 2009 07:48 pm      

Volunteers serve hundreds a Thanksgiving meal at Gilt Edge, Claysburg Towers

This year, Edna Nichols and her husband became homeless for the first time, and for Thanksgiving they were not sure where they would have their meal.

However, they found hearty helpings served with heart Thursday at Gilt Edge Baptist Church in Jeffersonville.

The church, 1713 Green St., served residents of Jeffersonville at that location and at Claysburg Towers a Thanksgiving complete with turkey, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, cranberry sauce and everything else one would expect for the traditional feast.

On weekdays, Gilt Edge serves food through its food pantry mission and began offering a Thanksgiving meal in 2000. According to Wilma Sadler-Morton, a director at the mission, the annual dinner has grown, and served 548 people in 2008, with almost 600 people expected this year.

“We often hear that if we did not serve those dinners, a lot of them would not have anything to eat,” said Sadler-Morton.

She added that many of those who live in Claysburg Towers receive food through Meals on Wheels, but that program doesn’t run Thanksgiving Day.

The Thanksgiving meal is very successful in serving the community, because of the many organizations that offer support.

This year, Westport Road Church of Christ in Louisville donated 25, 22-pound turkeys and cooked them for Gilt Edge. Also, New Washington State Bank in the Youngstown Shopping Center in Jeffersonville donated $400 to help with the dinner.

Texas Roadhouse, located in the Green Tree Mall in Clarksville, has been a main supporter of Gilt Edge’s Thanksgiving dinner for six years by donating green beans, desserts, dinner rolls and providing almost 40 volunteers.

“Texas Roadhouse is very big on being involved with community, volunteering and giving back with schools, churches and any fundraising to make our community better,” said Wendy Ennis, manager of the restaurant.

Every year, Shawn Humes, assistant manager at Texas Roadhouse, spends his Thanksgiving volunteering to feed those in need, and he also encourages other employees to help.

“We tell them [employees] what’s going on and the concern. It’s a big family thing. The Texas Roadhouse from Shively [Ky.] is here today, too, and helping out, Humes said.

In addition to employees giving their time, past employees return each year to volunteer and Texas Roadhouse customers help as well.

Leah Myers — who often eats at Texas Roadhouse and attends church with Ennis — served at the Thanksgiving dinner for the first time last year, and she returned this year with her mother, Elda, and four children; Eli, 10, Moirah, 8, Mirial, 4 and Elissa, 3.

“Volunteering is a way I can give back some of the blessings I’ve received throughout the year by giving my time, and also demonstrating to my children how important it is to serve others and give to others,” Myers said.

Serving others was exciting for Eli, and he didn’t mind pushing his family’s Thanksgiving dinner back to another day because “it helps people and makes them happy.”

Nichols, of course, was grateful for the efforts of Gilt Edge.

“I would like to thank them. I think it’s fantastic,” Nichols said. “It’s real nice to sit down and have someone bring it [food] to you and you don’t feel so homeless, I guess. You don’t feel so helpless.”