SUNBURY, Pa. -- Volunteers in Northumberland County are preparing for one of the largest Thanksgiving Day dinners in our area.
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 meal of this magnitude I certainly can't do by myself, so my volunteers are deemed my angels, they truly are my backbone. They keep me focused," Fisher said.
This will be the 21st time Fisher has organized the community dinner in Sunbury. More than 700 people attended the dinner last year.
Fisher told Newswatch 16 she will have enough food to feed over 1,000 people and says that anybody and everybody is invited to the Thanksgiving Day feast.
"It takes an army to put this together, and it takes a lot of food. This year we are upwards of like 37 turkeys and about 35 hams," she said.
Volunteers are working to make sure all the food is ready for the big day.
"We usually get the turkey prepared. It comes in either frozen or bagged. We put it in the refrigerators so that everything is ready to be put into the ovens tomorrow morning," said volunteer Brian Orndorf.
Fisher believes this is the best way to spend Thanksgiving.
"I keep doing it because God needs me to be here. This is my family, this is my home for Thanksgiving," Fisher added.
"I grew up having everything I ever needed. All my Thanksgivings have been filled with food, filled with friends and family. I think it's pretty awesome to go out and reach out to people that don't have this," said volunteer Richard Antonyuk.
The meal will be served in the basement of the Zion Lutheran Church at Noon on Thanksgiving Day.