A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
COMMUNITY
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2017
Community dinner a tradition for volunteers, diners
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
STAFF WRITER
In its 30th year, the Herm-
iston Community Fellow-
ship Dinner was busier than
ever. By 10:15, the Hermis-
ton High School commons
had already started to fill up
for the 11 a.m. meal. Volun-
teers buzzed around, helping
diners to their seats, writing
name tags, and packing to-go
boxes to take to housebound
people.
The Archer family packed
boxes into the back of their
vehicle, and headed to West
Hermiston. They were drop-
ping off Thanksgiving meals,
and the four of them — par-
ents Adam and Rachel, and
daughters Jules and Riley —
knew the drill by now.
“This is our third year,”
Adam said. “We get a variety
of people, from the elderly to
just people that can’t afford a
meal.”
The Archers were part of
a 100-plus group of volun-
teers assisting at the twice-
yearly community meal,
which for the first time was
held at the high school, after
STAFF PHOTO BY KATHY ANEY
STAFF PHOTO BY KATHY ANEY
Volunteers bow their heads in prayer before serving at the
free community Thanksgiving dinner at Hermiston High
School.
several years at the Hermis-
ton Senior Center.
In addition to serving an
estimated 900 at the high
school, drivers took meals
to housebound people, and
drove people to the meal.
Organizers said they deliver
meals as far west as Irrigon
and south to Echo.
As they delivered meals
and gave rides to people
who couldn’t drive to dinner,
Adam and Rachel explained
to their daughters what they
were doing.
“Why do we need to pick
someone up?” one of the
girls asked.
Cole Ayers, 8, and his
mother, Elissa Ayers,
volunteer at the free
community Thanksgiving
dinner at Hermiston High
School.
“Because it’s a nice thing
to do,” Adam said. “And,
because she might not have a
car to get there herself.”
The girls were eager to
help their parents, carry-
ing bags full of meals up to
the door and helping unload
the boxes. At each home,
the family introduced them-
selves, asked the name of the
person they met, and wished
them a happy Thanksgiving.
Some people receiving
deliveries are alone, or wait-
ing for families to arrive.
“We’ve been instructed, if
they want to invite us into the
house, we can go in and give
them company for a few min-
utes,” Adam said. He recalled
a home they went to their first
year of volunteering.
“The home wasn’t fit to
live in,” he said. “But the
lady invited us in — all she
wanted to do was talk.”
Sometimes, they had
unexpected orders come in.
At one delivery, a man in a
neighboring apartment saw
them and asked if they had
any food left.
“No, but they’re serving
dinner at the high school. We
can place an order for you,”
Rachel said.
Twenty minutes later, they
were back with hot meals for
the man.
The Archers’ final assign-
ment for the day was driving
a woman, Mary Getchel, to
the meal. Jules, the Archers’
eight year-old daughter, chat-
ted cheerfully with Getchel,
who shared a little about
herself.
“I’ve lived here for 15
years,” she said. “I like the
dinner.”
Joe Kiser, who helped
start the Community Fel-
lowship Dinners in the late
1980s, said he was pleased to
see how it’s expanded.
“The first meal had 11
people,” he said. “From
there, it blossomed to about
30 people. And from there
it just exploded, into the
hundreds.”
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COMMUNITY
Our Lady of Angels
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DAILY MASS:
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Thursday ....................................................Spanish 6:00 pm
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Hermiston
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With Jesus.
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t. PH: 567-6672
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CHURCH
Sunday School 9:15am
Worship Gathering 10:30 am
Children’s Church 10:30 am
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
The Full Gospel
Home Church
235 SW 3rd
Phone 567-7678
Rev. Ed Baker - Rev. Nina Baker
Sunday:
Sunday School........10:00 am
Worship...................11:00 am
Evening Service........7:00 pm
Wednesday Service..7:00 pm
“Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you.”
1 Pet. 5:7
Grace Baptist Church
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......6:00pm
Nursery provided for all services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 PM
Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
Pastor David Dever
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