PENDLETON — Pendleton Christian Church and Pendleton Correctional Facility (PCF) served about 300 no-charge meals during an early Thanksgiving Community Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 18, at the church.
The menu included turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls and pie, with Needler’s Fresh Market donating the turkey and pie.
“Our goal all around is just bringing the community together,” said Katrina Schnepp, the church’s connections director. The church does a weekly community meal, but this is a special one that’s part of “just loving our people (and) making sure they have a place to go (for a Thanksgiving meal).”
Helping serve the meal were 32 church members and about a dozen staff volunteers from PCF, as well as a couple from Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility and Correctional Industrial Facility. About 200 of the meals were delivered, including to on-duty corrections workers.
Courtney Hawkins, PCF director for correctional community services, said she jumped at the chance to join the joint meal effort. Besides community outreach being a part of her job, “volunteering is just part of my life,” she said.
