Murphy – Cecilia Crawford-Faulkner, executive director of Reach in Cherokee County Inc., along with numerous volunteers and the help of Main Street U.S.A. Diner, made sure no one who wanted a hot meal on Thanksgiving Day went without one.
The joint effort provided hot turkey dinners with all the fixings on Thanksgiving Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The drive-through was set up for both vehicles and pedestrians, as the dining room was closed.
First responders were honored for their efforts by being presented with a meal from 10-11 a.m. All others were invited to stop by from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
One woman drove through and received meals for herself and someone else. She was so grateful she gave a donation before driving away with a smile.
Also available were pre-packaged bags with various personal items for anyone who needed one as well as caps, socks, blankets and gloves to assist those needing them during cold weather.
Crawford-Faulkner, her husband James and their immediate family realized over their own Thanksgiving meal a couple of years ago how blessed they were, and decided they wanted to help others in their thankfulness. This is the second year that they have done this.
“We just want everyone to feel loved and know that others are grateful for them on Thanksgiving,” Cecilia said.
Nicholas Sharp was on hand helping out.
“I feel wonderful helping others in need, so anything we can do, we like to do,” he said. “There’s a lot of people in this community, and I can’t think of a better way to help than to feed them on Thanksgiving.”
A grand total of 896 dinner meals were handed out, with 240 delivered to those who couldn’t make the trip to Main Street.
Thanksgiving is a day for reaching out in love to others with a grateful heart, and all those who were a part of this local endeavor did just that.
Crawford-Faulkner and her family would like to say “thank you” to Main Street for the use of their restaurant on their day off, and to the volunteers who helped.