Abundance on the Menu at FCS

Times Record, 11/25/24: Freeport Community Services is gearing up for its annual free Thanksgiving meal event, thanks to the support of many local businesses and organizations.

Two large, rolling bins overflowing with an array of squashes sit in the corner of a large events room at Freeport Community Services, where a collection of Thanksgiving Day food is steadily growing.

“It’s just coming in from all angles,” FCS Executive Director Sarah Lundin said of the donations. The back wall was lined with baskets of potatoes, and tables set up in the center of the room were already collecting cans of pumpkin puree and boxed stuffing kits. Lundin said that more was still to come as FCS gears up for its annual Thanksgiving meal program.

The center, a nonprofit tasked with helping Freeporters meet their basic needs, will dole out free meals to the community starting on Tuesday by handing out preordered meal kits with Thanksgiving meal ingredients that feature a combination of fresh and shelf food items, such as turkey and ingredients for dessert. On the big day — this Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — the center will serve a hot Thanksgiving meal prepared by local chefs and community members.

“It’s this incredible community event,” Lundin said. ” … It’s also, I think, a pretty incredible example of how the community comes together to make things happen and to support one and other.”

Organizations such local churches and schools are pitching in with food drives. The abundance of farm-fresh veggies now being stored at the center are thanks to a partnership with R. Belanger & Sons Farms, Lundin said. Local restaurants — Royal River Grill House, BakeHouse, Double Barrel Freeport, Freeport Grange and Harraseeket Inn, to name a few — are providing additional resources for the main course.

“[They] all have different roles and parts of our thanksgiving meal,” Lundin said. “Some of them are allowing us to use their cooler space because we don’t have enough here. They’re allowing us to use their kitchen. They’re preparing different elements of the meal. And it just all comes together Thanksgiving day.”

The menu this year, judging by a list of ingredients that Lundin was tasked to order for the big meal, will feature Thanksgiving staples: turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, green bean casserole and more. One community member will likely make her famous corn pudding. Volunteers will also come together to make an array of desserts.

The effort provides much-needed community support and resources that many may lack other times of the year. About 10% of Cumberland County residents are food insecure, according to a 2024 report of 2022 data from Feeding America . The organization also noted in its report that the average cost per meal rose in 2022, meaning it is more expensive for families to maintain food security at home.

FCS also reported an increase of Food Pantry use over the past four years. A 2021 annual report noted that the Food Pantry served an average of 276 people a month in its fiscal year, running from July 2020 to June 2021. This figure increased to 395 people a month the following year, and fell slightly to about 335 people a month last fiscal year, according to FCS yearly service reports.

While Lundin does not suspect a spike in this year’s turnout for the Thanksgiving meals compared to previous years, each holiday season marks an increase in giving within the community.

“I think one of the things that happens this time of year is a lot more people are heightened to that awareness of others not having everything that they need, so generosity is high,” Lundin said.

Lundin also noted that with people struggling with basic needs, such getting adequate warmth and health care this winter, it’s important to have opportunities to build a sense of community. Asking for help can be especially tough during a time of year where few safety nets are available, she said.

“It still resonates with me that there are people who don’t have family to go to on Thanksgiving Day and they don’t have friends that are close by,” Lundin said. “… but to be able to provide a place where people can go, and they can have someone to talk to and engage with and just have that connection around what can be a pretty nostalgic moment throughout the year — I just think it’s really important.”

The Thanksgiving dinner will take place in the Bradley Room at 53 Depot St. in Freeport. The meal starts at 11 a.m. and will run until 2 p.m. Home delivery will be available for those who cannot join in person.

For more details, visit fcsmaine.org/fcs-thanksgiving-day-meal-nov-28/.