Knights of Columbus in Panama City prepare Thanksgiving feast for 150 seniors

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Thanksgiving provides a time for families to come together, but some homebound seniors don’t enjoy the same privilege. It can be hard for some seniors to enjoy a true Thanksgiving meal for a variety of reasons.

“One, they can’t afford it, or two, they physically cannot feed their homes,” said Kevin Hall, a member of Knights of Columbus #3599.

For nearly 40 years, the Knights of Columbus have gathered on Thanksgiving to prepare food for seniors in need.

“We do turkey, the dressing, the green beans, and of course, you’ve got to have dessert,” Hall said.

With a fairly small army of men, the group managed to make a big impact in Bay County.

“We actually have prepared 150 meals today; we have a crew of about 22 guys that came in here to help. Some of us have been here since five o’clock this morning, we’ve finished up at about nine and we’ve got all the meals all packaged up,” said Hall.

Once meal packages are complete, drivers from the Meals on Wheels program make the deliveries: Providing not just food, but positivity for seniors.

“Does it make you feel good? Yeah, it feels good. But it’s better to know the people who receive these get something on thanksgiving and don’t have a frozen meal they have to thaw and reheat in the oven,” said Mike Tierney, member of Knights of Columbus #3599.

The work of these men and women serves as a reminder that the holiday is just as much about giving, as it is being thankful.

Next month, the Knights of Columbus will be feeding seniors for Christmas with a traditional meal cooked on the morning of Christmas Eve. More information on the Meals on Wheels program can be found here.

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