The 25th annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner will take place at the Shelby Optimist Club, 788 Industrial Park Dr. in Shelby, Thursday, Nov. 27 from noon to 2 p.m. While the event takes place in Shelby, it is truly a community event for all, according to this year’s organizers.
“It doesn’t belong to anyone,” said business owner Melissa Flanagan. “It has always just been the community and whoever wanted to help.”
Volunteer coordinator Mark Gaultney agreed, “It’s about the entire community coming together to give thanks to God and our community. It’s a way for us to come together and show our gratitude.”
According to Gaultney, the idea for a community Thanksgiving originally started with Pastor Rob Henderson of the Shelby Wesleyan Church at the time. The meal has always been held at the Shelby Optimist Club, and the club has always donated the use of the building for the event.
When asked how he became involved, Gaultney said, “My wife and I were empty-nesters, and we got tired of cooking a big dinner only to have it over in a couple of hours. We wanted to volunteer and got connected about 15 years ago. The meal was provided by various members and businesses of the community, and it still is. It’s kind of cool.”
Gaultney shared that on the morning of the dinner there would be 16 roasters stationed all along the walls of the Optimist Club, taking up every outlet. The guys were walking around with knives just waiting for the next turkey to be done so they could start carving. “Mike McGovern delivered the potatoes, and different churches brought the pies,” he said.
“When the Hendersons stepped away from coordinating, Mary Ann Carey of Shelby Methodist Church said, ‘We have to keep this going’ and she took over the coordination. Then, like everything else, the pandemic threw a monkey wrench in the tradition. Mary Ann coordinated the meal in 2022, but life circumstances prevented her from coordinating the meal in 2023. So in 2024 I was asked if I would coordinate it, and I accepted,” Gaultney explained. “God bless Mary Rose (Vanas) from Shelby Schools, who cooked the meal. Everyone chipped in. Some people took care of decorating. Others served or cleaned up. We usually serve about 200. Last year we were down. Not sure why, maybe because there are more community dinners to choose from.”
Regardless, the annual event will continue. Gaultney and Flanagan were both quick to point out that even though various community members have taken the lead in coordinating the event, it doesn’t belong to any one person or group. They really believe that’s what makes it so special. Volunteers and diners come from all over the county, and that’s how they’d like to keep it.
“The best way to describe it is it’s a free community Thanksgiving dinner held in Shelby with the generous support of surrounding communities.”
Truth be told, the dinner is receiving support far beyond Oceana County. Through the beauty of social media, Tonya McLouth, a former Shelby resident, saw the community dinner announcement come up on Facebook, and she reached out to Gaultney. She wished to make a donation in memory of her parents, Douglas and Sue McLouth, who were longstanding members of the community.
When asked how the community could help this year, Gaultney said that with contributions from area organizations and businesses, expenses have been covered for this year, but anyone interested in volunteering this year or in the future is welcome and appreciated. “If people want to volunteer, we’ll find you something to do,” he added. “If someone is willing to volunteer, it’s important that they get the opportunity to serve. The whole event is intended to be an Oceana County event.”
Anyone looking for a place at the table on Thanksgiving is welcome to attend. Enjoy great food, conversation and connection. The dinner is completely free, but donations will be accepted. For further information or questions, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Mark Gaultney at 231-301-1142 or Meal Coordinator Melissa Flanagan at 231-594-8928.
