Fairfield Methodist Church to host free Thanksgiving meal

FAIRFIELD – The First United Methodist Church in Fairfield will host a free Thanksgiving meal Thursday.

The church invites the community to eat in its dining hall or get carry-out between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Last year, the church prepared enough food to feed 500 people and ended up serving 325. This will be the first year since the pandemic that the church has opened its doors for dine-in, since it was carry-out only last year.

Carrie Brownlee, who has been in charge of the meal for the past seven years, said this will be the church’s 18th year of serving a Thanksgiving meal. The menu includes everything you’d expect of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, a roll, green beans and pie for dessert.

The church is delivering meals to shut-ins, too. As of Monday, 110 people had signed up for delivered meals.

Brownlee said the church is fortunate to have an army of volunteers help with deliveries, serving the food and clean-up. These people come from the Methodist Church as well as numerous other churches in the area. Brownlee said she’s expecting 40-45 volunteers, but can always use more.

“Especially this year with dine in, we’ll have more clean up because we’ll serve on dishes, and we’ll have to clean up the dining room,” she said.

The other churches in the area pitch-in for the meal. The Lutheran Church provides the stuffing. The Christian Church pays for the rolls. The Knights of Columbus with the Catholic Church helps pay for the pies. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints donates toward the mashed potatoes and green beans. Logli’s also worked out an arrangement where it was able to supply the mashed potatoes and green beans to the church at cost.

“Hy-Vee and Walmart donated some of the turkeys, too,” Brownlee said, commenting that the church is preparing 38 turkeys this year.

Brownlee said she’s expecting a good crowd because of the return of dining in. In fact, she said the whole point of the meal in the first place was to provide a place for people to gather on Thanksgiving who might not have anywhere else to go.

“I think people are ready to get back out, have some fellowship and have some community,” Brownlee said.

Those who wish to volunteer or who want to learn more about the meal can call Brownlee at 641-919-6046, or by calling the church at 641-472-4303. The First United Methodist Church is located at 201 N. Court St.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com