SUNBURY, Pa. — For Rhonda Fisher, the day before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year. She and several volunteers are gearing up for their annual free Thanksgiving Day dinner at Zion Lutheran Church in Sunbury.
"A lot of work and a lot of chaos. Today is our busy workday. We will be taking in all the donated food donations that have been prepared," Fisher said.
This will be the 24th time Fisher has organized the community dinner in Sunbury. But this is the first time in more than two years that the meal will be sit-down style.
"We are so excited to be back here at Zion Lutheran. The last two years, because of the pandemic, we were out in the streets around Cameron Park servicing with brown bag lunches," she said.
"It is just a great way to show love to each other, and there is just something special about being in person again," said volunteer Barbara Wise.
Folks who attend the dinner will get to take home a bag of nonperishables along with getting a nice meal. Fisher told Newswatch 16 that she expects to feed hundreds of people in the Sunbury community on Thanksgiving Day.
"Rhonda says usually 800 to 1,000 meals. So, I think in the past we have done 700 to 800, but with the needs in the community, it could be much more," Wise said.
"We have some pretty full pages just for the high-rises. So, we have probably upwards of 300 just to deliver to the high-rises," Fisher added.
Doors will open at the Zion Lutheran Church in Sunbury at 8 a.m. Thursday for coffee and doughnuts. The Thanksgiving meal will be served shortly after noon.
Check out WNEP's YouTube channel.