Church Treasurer, event organizer and ‘Queen of the Church Kitchen’ Dana Davis makes sure everything is perfect at the homemade dessert table.
Church of Ascension has another successful Community Thanksgiving Dinner!
Lexington Park, MD – Who wants to make a big Thanksgiving meal for an empty nest? That is how the idea for the community Thanksgiving was given birth by Dana Davis, treasurer and “Kitchen Nazi” of the Church of Ascension. The event was a success again in 2016. Church of Ascension, located in the heart of Great Mills Road in Lexington Park, literally had its doors wide open Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, starting at 11 a.m. for anyone who wanted to come in, get a plate, have a seat and meet a new friend or chat with an old one.
Davis said, “We never know how many friends are going to show up and it is hard to tell the church members how much food to prepare.” The Church of Ascension has been active in feeding the homeless population and the lower income residents of St. Mary’s County for years. Through the efforts made by their food pantry and other events, it keeps church members in touch with community needs.
“I have been a member of this church since 1985, and being in the kitchen is what I love to do, so this is natural for me.” Even though it may have been her idea, Davis said that she does not do all the work and will not take all the credit. Church members, cook and bake and help to get the work out weeks before this event, she shared.
Davis said every year it amazes her how many volunteers are on hand to help and the number of people who show up Thanksgiving morning saying, “how can I help you” or “is there something I can volunteer to do?” The quality and the amount of food she must offer people just walking in off the street is amazing.
Not all the food comes from private individual donors. Davis said the dish that was a hit this year on the buffet table was the sweet potato casserole, which was made from donated items from the local Outback Steakhouse.
Steve Ridpath of Drayden is one of those many volunteers. Ridpath, a volunteer at St. Mary’s Caring located in Great Mills at Good Samaritan Church had called the church the day before to offer his assistance. “St. Mary’s Caring had a very busy week with getting out turkeys to people who had signed up for them,” said Ridpath, who is retired. Ridpath spends a lot of his time volunteering around St. Mary’s County and helping others. He said that all the work at St. Mary’s Caring was done in the early part of this week and he was left with nothing to do because they were closed on Thanksgiving. “I love volunteering now that I am retired,” he said. “Since we finished handing out about 100 turkeys yesterday, I figured I should just come help out over here.”
After my chat with Ridpath, Davis told me close to my ear, “See…I have never seen that man before today. People just show up and help out which is wonderful because we could not do this without the volunteers – its means everything.” With a warm smile, placing her hand on my shoulder, Davis explained that she may have come up with the idea, but she has always gotten support from the congregation and then as we get closer to event day, “people in the community literally show up to help and I never worry about it.”
Church of Ascension held a no-strings-attached Thanksgiving dinner, with all the trimmings and more. Members of the community leisurely walked inside, then were greeted, went through the buffet line of volunteers, and sat down to converse with friends.
Locals and friends, Bruce, and Charles, began a conversation about gratitude and being of service to others while eating in the dining area. Charles shared he is a member of fellowship and this is ‘Gratitude month,’ and so he came out to show his gratitude. The two men shared they came out “to volunteer and fellowship with some of the displaced men in the community who may not have anyone to eat with. I know what it is like to be down on your luck and eat alone on the holidays. My friend and I decided to come down here and be of service to our friends who are less fortunate because it is only by God’s grace that I today.”
The Thanksgiving buffet line closed at 3 p.m., but anyone walking in could still get hooked up with the works–a to-go box fully loaded, a homemade dessert.
Davis said her children had grown and left home, “So now I have dinner where old and new friends come and gather together, but I never know how many friends are coming each year.”
They had plenty of hugs, conversation, and food at the Church of Ascension for the friends this Thanksgiving – the total number of guests is unknown. According to Davis, affectionately known as the ‘Kitchen Nazi,’ “that is not a bad thing at all.”
Contact Shertina Mack at s.mack@TheBayNet.com
