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Daily Sun photo/Bob Belcher Smiles and meals were aplenty Thursday at Cornerstone Baptist Church's annual community Thanksgiving Day meal. Shown working the service line, from left, Katie Brady, Gary Dees, Debbie Crawford, Dave Clemons and Rhonda Freeland. The church expected about 800 meals would be served during the event.
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Daily Sun photo/Bob Belcher Thanksgiving Day diners enjoy turkey, ham and all the trimmings Thursday at Cornerstone Baptist Church.
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Daily Sun photo/Bob Belcher Bagging up rolls for takeout dinners are, from left, Steve Crawford, Terrance Reaves, William Grigsby and Steven Albright.
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Daily Sun photo/Bob Belcher Volunteers Joe Borsellino, left, and Al Fisher, right, serve up turkey and ham Thursday at Cornerstone Baptist Church.
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Cornerstone Baptist dishes up dinner, holiday company
It’s a ministry of love, caring and sharing that brings together several hundred people on a very special day.
Thanksgiving Day at Cornerstone Baptist Church transforms the sanctuary of the house of worship into a one-day cafeteria and take-out operation unrivaled by any commercial operation in town.
The idea of serving a Thanksgiving Day meal to the community began about five years ago at Cornerstone Baptist. It’s a way to provide for those in need, as well as a time for fellowship for church members and volunteers, said Pastor Paul Carter.
“There are a lot of people — not just in Corsicana, but everywhere — that just don’t have family, don’t have a Thanksgiving meal,” Carter said. “This church decided it was going to feed the community.”
Volunteers on duty Thursday ranged from small children to elder members, and all ages in between. They manned the serving lines inside the sanctuary, as well as the preparation lines in the back of the kitchen area, preparing meals for delivery to shut-ins for the holiday.
“We started out this morning with 80 people two hours before we opened the doors working as volunteers,” Carter said. “We’ve got volunteers from Dallas, Waco, and Tyler who came just to help us serve food.”
Carter estimated they’d feed as many as 800 people during the three-hour event Thursday — about as many as were fed during the 2008 event — from all walks of life, some eating at the church, some enjoying a meal delivered by volunteers.
“We’re also serving the ‘Meals on Wheels’ list because they don’t operate on Thanksgiving,” Carter said.
Dr. John LaNoue, former pastor of Cornerstone, was helping man the service lines Thursday. He recalled the Thanksgiving Day ministry’s beginnings and the reason it has been so successful through the years.
“We’re trying to help people that need it, but then the other thing is, a lot of people are lonesome,” LaNoue explained. “They come here for fellowship ... it’s been popular because when they come here, they feel loved.
“I had one lady come through who had been in rehab for a while. She said ‘this church feels like a lake of unconditional love that I can float in until I can learn to swim again.’”
In addition to local and visiting volunteers, the church’s effort has drawn the support of several businesses in the area, and has benefited from the generosity of others, Carter said.
“A man who is a member of First Baptist Church of Dallas ... likes what we’re doing here, and dropped off a check just the other day for $1,000,” Carter said.
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