Community Thanksgiving dinner begins Nov. 24 at noon

It’s a Weiser tradition that dates back over 30 years.

 The Weiser Community Thanksgiving Dinner gives community members the opportunity to enjoy a free holiday meal together or have it delivered. 

 The event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 24 at the Weiser Activity Center for Seniors, located at 115 E. Main St.

 Doors open at 12 p.m., with meals served until 3 p.m.

 Two community members, Evelyn Stover and Evelyn Drumheller, started the dinner many years ago, running it for 17 years before volunteers Toby and Dana Clary took over.

 “We had our kids helping us volunteer and when they (Stover and Drumheller) said they were stepping away, we decided that we wanted to keep it going,” said Toby Clary, a local Weiser business owner. “We thought it was a great tradition for our family, so we started doing it and had no idea it would go on this long, but we don’t know Thanksgiving any other way now.”

 The Clary family, which has been serving up turkey dinners for 18 years and running the event for 15, relies on community donations to keep it going.

 “It’s all donations and usually we use the donations from the year prior to pay for the current year,” Toby said. “We have a bank account for the Weiser Community Thanksgiving Dinner and we put all our donations there. Then we go on a big shopping trip about a week before to get all the supplies and food that we need.”

 Toby said community members also typically donate needed food items.

 “We have a lot of people who donate turkeys and desserts and those kinds of things,” he said. “Depending on what kinds of food donations we get, we go and get the rest with the donated money. It all seems to happen right before, especially as it starts getting closer.”

 The Clary’s also offer delivery service, the family is assisted by a large group of hard-working volunteers who dedicate their time to delivering Thanksgiving dinner to thankful community members who may not be able to dine in-house at the senior center.

 To have your meal delivered or to make a donation, call Toby at (208) 521-8138.