By Nathan Straus
nstraus@jacksonvilleprogress.com
The HOPE (Helping Others Pursue Enrichment) Center encourages all area residents to attend its Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday at the Kitchen of HOPE in Jacksonville.
Fran Daniel, HOPE executive director, said the community is invited to come for the free meal, which will be served by community leaders such as Jacksonville Mayor Robert Haberle.
Haberle said the meal has become an annual tradition for city officials.
“We go to the HOPE Center and share in Thanksgiving and celebration with the clients they serve. We take time out for all of us to be thankful that we live in Jacksonville and we pause to give thanks with our neighbors and friends,” he said
Haberle encourages everyone in the community to come participate and share in Thanksgiving with the Jacksonville City Council.
The Thanksgiving dinner will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Fannie Franklin, a HOPE board member, said she is planning on seeing around 200 people at the meal.
“It’s definitely more than usual,” Franklin said.
According to Franklin, this tradition is about five years running and began after a discussion with the city’s mayor.
“Haberle told me, ‘Any time you need the city, just call me.’ I called and they showed up. Everyone enjoyed it and they came ever since. It’s a new Jacksonville tradition and has gone over real well,” Franklin said.
Daniel said in the past, people have brought questions to the city manager and visiting officials.
“They’re always glad to respond. They can mingle with their constituents,” Daniel said.
The scheduled menu for the Wednesday Thanksgiving meal is dressing with gravy, sliced turkey, sliced beef in wine sauce with bell peppers and onions, seasoned squash, seasoned broccoli, dinner rolls, tea and a variety of deserts.
Daniel said the broccoli and squash will be taken from HOPE’s very own community garden, and donations from local individuals and groups make the rest possible.
“This community has been extremely generous to us lately with the food drives,” Daniel said.
HOPE’s Thanksgiving dinner will be free to attend. Daniel reminds residents everyone is invited to take part.
“In the past, they’ve brought the police chief, the fire chief, the city council, the mayor and the city manager. It’s a big group,” Daniel said.
HOPE, established in 1991, provides a variety of comprehensive social services to all residents of Cherokee County, including hot meals, free to anyone who visits the Kitchen; emergency food supplies to families; and meals for senior citizens and local students through programs like the Brown Bag and Backpack programs. The center also provides programs that offer reduced-cost prescriptions to qualifying residents and connect low-income citizens with primary health care along with many others.
