This is one of my favorite posts to write every year. Six or seven years ago, an old friend posted on Facebook that volunteers were needed to help cook and serve a Thanksgiving-Eve meal. I showed up and helped to wash some dishes and I have gone back to volunteer every year. You can read my Facebook post from November 26, 2014, it is probably the best summary of my experience.
The congregation of Albright has been hosting this free meal for 42 years. It is a big old Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, stuffing, and all of fixing. The meal is prepared by volunteers and served to anyone who needs a hot meal and some fellowship. It is hard to summarize in a few sentences, but it just all works. Neighbors come together every year to make sure that other neighbors have something to eat. When there are enough leftovers, most people leave with a take-out box of something to eat the next day.
There are 3 ways you can help make sure this years Thanksgiving-eve dinner is a success.
Volunteers getting ready to serve the annual Thanksgiving-Eve dinner
Sign up for a volunteer shift! Volunteers are needed Wednesday to cook and serve the meal. All are welcome to help. This dinner is a massive undertaking, the Albright congregation has it down to a science and with volunteer help, the entire meal comes together and dinner is served.Sign up to help here: https://goo.gl/forms/kiWBAxOllSjclKvx1.Volunteers will be needed all day on Wednesday. Children who are accompanied by a parent are welcome to help.
Make a Donation. Contributions can be made on 2017 Albright Thanksgiving Dinner GoFundMe page. Last year 24 people donated to the cause.I’ve set a personal goal of having 50 different people donate to this year’s dinner, which is double the number of donors from last year. As of today, 40 people have made a donation to the dinner. We have raised enough money to cover the basic costs, but it would be great to raise a little bit more so we can make sure we have enough food for anyone who shows up. (Donations are made to New Sun Rising which serves as the fiscal sponsor for Friends of Albright).
Spread the word. Please invite your friends to help and attend the dinner. You can share this Facebook event page and the posted included below.
2017 Albright Thanksgiving-Eve Dinner
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
5:30-7:00
Dinner starts at 5:30
The dinner will be held in the First United Methodist Church Social Hall Facebook event link
Thanksgiving Day Greetings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Three years ago, on Thanksgiving eve, I was asked via a Facebook post from a friend to volunteer to serve food at a free Thanksgiving dinner. I had no idea when I walked into the kitchen, that I was walking into much more than a dinner.
One of the many things I have learned from writing this blog, is the importance of meeting and talking with your fellow neighbors. While I am thankful that this blog, (the Facebook page, Twitter & Instagram accounts, and many local MeetUp groups) have made it possible to share more Pittsburgh stories, I am most proud of the ways that IheartPGH has used all things social media to bring Pittsburghers together in person. The annual Albright Community Thanksgiving Dinner has become one of my favorite ways to bring Pittsburghers together. Here is the post I wrote after last years Thanksgiving Eve dinner:
There are so many amazing people in this city that are Pittsburghers. Sometimes I am lucky enough to get to spend some a few moments with those people. Tonight, I helped a friend clean up from the community dinner that has been organized at the Albright United Methodist Church since the 1970s. The volunteers were led by a man that is 75 and has worked at Ritters for over 40 years. Earlier this year, he left Ritters and now works at Dennys. Today he cooked 9 turkeys and all of the fixings. Tomorrow he will feed 35 people at his house, then go to work at Dennys at 5pm. I have helped with the clean up for this dinner for the past 4 years and never had the chance to hear this story. I’ll gladly wash the pots and pans, and mop the floor any night of the week if I get to spend time with Pittsburghers like this.
On top of that, another kind Pittsburgher saw my post on Reddit about volunteering a the dinner and showed up to volunteer with out having heard of me or my blog. He had taken a quiz on Facebook and learned that today was his 10,000th day alive. To celebrate that, he spent the evening helping a few strangers.
That is just a little slice of Pittsburgh for you.
The Albright Community Thanksgiving-Eve dinner is more than making sure everyone has some turkey and stuffing to eat on Thanksgiving day (many folks take home an extra meal in a to-go box), but it is an opportunity for people, neighbors, from all over this city come and sit at the table together for food and conversation.
If you have been following IheartPGH over the past few months, you know there have been many posts about the future of the Albright Church Building, while I care very much about that conversation, I think it is most important that the focus of the next week be on making sure that everyone in Bloomfield, Shadyside or any other corner of this county has a warm Thanksgiving meal and some neighbors to talk with at dinner.
Help Make the 41st Annual Albright Community Thanksgiving Dinner a Success!
1. Plan to attend the Thanksgiving Eve Dinner! This is a free meal and all are welcome to attend if you need food, fellowship or just an excuse to meet your neighbors please plan to attend the meal. You can RSVP on Facebook Event here.
Albright Thanksgiving Eve Dinner
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
5:30-8pm
First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall
5401 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 – Next to the Wendy’s
2. Spread the word! Please invite your friends, neighbors, community groups and anyone else in Pittsburgh who needs some food & fellowship to attend
4. Donate! You can support the Albright Community Thanksgiving Eve Dinner by making a financial contribution to Friends of Albright. Friends of Albright’s fiscal sponsor is New Sun Rising and all donations are made to the group through New Sun Rising here.
History of the Albright Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Forty years ago, one of the boy scouts who attended Albright planned a free Thanksgiving meal for his Eagle Scout Project. Ever since, the congregation of Albright United Methodist Church has continued to serve a free Thanksgiving meal. Starting in 2014, Albright began holding the annual Thanksgiving dinner in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist Church, which is located just around the corner from Albright.
Here is a 2012 article from the Trib about the Albright Thanksgiving Dinner:
