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Giving thanks in Lackawanna County

For some, the holidays can be lonely. Newswatch 16's Emily Kress shows us how people are coming together to share a meal.

DICKSON CITY, Pa. — Good food and good company here at the Dickson City Eagle Hose Company Fire Hall.

The free Thanksgiving meal has been a community staple since 1997. When the original founder retired, Judie Senkow-Richards and her husband Brian took it over to make sure everyone had a place to come for the holiday. 

"This is where I get teary eyed every year, I don't want people to be alone on this holiday. I have a lot to be grateful for in my family, and this is my way of sharing it," said Senkow-Richards. 

Not long after opening the doors, people lined up to get their meal and filled the tables… Roger Coleman of Throop came out for the first time. 

"I live alone, I'm crippled, and I had a stroke in March. I usually go to my son's in Nanticoke, but he'll bring something up tomorrow, so I said they have this here I'll stop over," said Coleman. 

Among the crowd were some familiar faces from past year. Jack Fedorko of Olyphant is an army veteran who served in Korea. 

"Every year we do this ya know it's a good deal. The food, mashed potatoes and gravy," said Fedorko. 

Others say this meal gives them a reason to get out of the house and socialize.

"We're here because we have children, but they are all out of state. They will be here for Christmas but not Thanksgiving I think it's nice to just be with people and friends," said Ann Marie Scinicariello of Dickson City. 

"I've been here before, it's very nice, the people are nice, the little ones are nice, they help you out all the time, I like that," said Anna Gregg of Dickson City. 

Judie says they've started a non-profit called, "We Give Thanks" to keep this meal going for years to come. She tells Newswatch 16 it's a community effort to bring everyone together.  

"I've got a lot of volunteers cooking up the food, we have donors who make the food for us, and we reheat it and we have some local businesses who prepare some of the food," said Senkow-Richards 

The "We Give Thanks" event served more than 300 meals.

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