Two decades of love
DEVIN HEILMAN/Press file Judy Roehr of Coeur d’Alene shares a laugh with Ian Henkel during Lake City Center’s 18th annual free Thanksgiving Day meal in 2015. 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the free meal. In two decades, nearly 700 turkeys and more than 1,300 pies have been used to serve about 14,000 meals. Volunteers are still needed for this year’s meal, which will be from noon to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Logan Crossley, 20, of Coeur d’Alene, center right, races plates to guests during the free community Thanksgiving Day meal at Lake City Center in 2015. This is the 20th year for the meal, which will be served from noon to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving. (DEVIN HEILMAN/Press file)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — A small, one-room apartment in a senior community doesn't quite provide Barbara Hoffman enough space to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for her family.
This year, thanks to the annual free Thanksgiving Day Meal at Lake City Center, Hoffman will be able to have her family over for dinner without the need for a big kitchen.
"I haven't had Thanksgiving with my family for years," Hoffman said Wednesday. "I'm so excited about it."
Hoffman, 78, of Coeur d'Alene, lives alone. The past few Thanksgivings, volunteers from Lake City Center have delivered her a nice, hot meal to enjoy without having to spend the money, time and energy the traditional American feast requires.
"The people are just darling who bring it, they are so happy and gracious," she said. "The food is very, very good. It's so wonderful to have a turkey dinner in front of me, and pie!"
Volunteers will once again bring Hoffman a meal, but this year they'll be bringing enough for eight people so she and her kids can all have a nice holiday at home.
"I love the fact that I can be home and someone cares about me and my children, and my children can be with their mama," she said. "I'm looking forward to seeing little faces across from me this year."
This is the 20th year Lake City Center will be providing free Thanksgiving dinners to people at home, like Hoffman, and those who are able to come to the center for a community meal.
It was started by a group of loving people, including Mike and Vickie Hillicoss and their kids, who realized Coeur d'Alene did not have a free community meal on Thanksgiving Day. It was held at St. Pius X Catholic Church until it outgrew the space, then Lake City Center generously offered to host the event at no charge.
"Being a part of this community, it was natural for us to want to find a need and help to fill it," Mike said. "It fills us with a great sense of pride, and accomplishment, amazement actually, that this meal has been going on for 20 years, but it is more than that to us.
"It is the community that is remarkable, and its capacity to give is truly heartwarming and gratifying. This day, this very special day, created every year by weeks of preparation, goodwill, donations and elbow grease, culminates in such a wondrous feel-good day. It can only be described by one word... Love. The way this community shares its love for each other is precious to us."
Since 1998, nearly 700 turkeys and more than 1,300 pies have been used to serve about 14,000 meals, including extras that patrons have taken home for leftovers the next day. This year, the Hillicoss family and their hardworking volunteers are expecting to use 50 turkeys and more than 100 pies to serve more than 1,500 meals.
This will be the fourth year Richard Bingham and his family have volunteered to help with Lake City's Thanksgiving meal. They do it because they want to pay back kindness shown to them when they lost their home in New Mexico just before Christmas several years ago.
"Once we got here, we thought, 'Well, why don't we just plan on during the holiday season doing something for someone else?'" he said. "We sit back and we look out and we think it’s wonderful people are able to come and not have to deal with the stress of making a Thanksgiving dinner, especially knowing the fact that some of them might not be able to."
The 20th annual free Thanksgiving Day Meal at Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Drive in Coeur d'Alene, will be on Thanksgiving from noon to 2 p.m. It is a traditional meal with live music, decorations and a children's activity center with activities, crafts and an appearance by Santa Claus.
Volunteers are still needed to work the night before for preparations as well as the day of. People are also needed to cook turkeys.
To volunteer or to donate turkeys or pies, email freethanksgivingdaymeal@aol.com or call 509-226-3208.
To make a monetary donation drop off or mail to: Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Drive, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Please make checks to “LCC Thanksgiving."