Save the Date: Zion's Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

For the past 30 years, Zion’s Lutheran Church has been host to Trinidad’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner, free of charge. In the early days of what has become and treasured tradition, Zion’s focused upon ensuring that college students who did not go home for Thanksgiving were able to enjoy a traditional meal on Thanksgiving Day.

As the years passed, Zion’s drew upon it’s “all are welcome tradition” and invited everyone in the community to join in. This included, not only people who didn’t want to cook a big meal to people who were alone for the holiday, as well as those unable to afford a traditional holiday meal, or who are homeless. When it became evident that some people could not dine in person due to health or other limitations, then Zion’s pickup and delivery options began. Deliveries were an offshoot of the congregation’s 5-Loaves lunch delivery program and were welcomed by many.

As in the past, meal preparation and service require commitment from the members of Zion’s as well as from community volunteers. This time-honored tradition would not be possible without the contributions of time, talent, food, and funds.

As Zion’s welcoming message and dinner outreach continued so did the number of meals provided. While dine-in meals were not possible during Covid restrictions, Zion’s still offered more than 600 meals by delivery and curbside pickup. By 2022, volunteers served and delivered almost 900 meals, braving snowy weather to do so, and providing warm hospitality to those who braved the weather to dine in person. Thanksgiving Day 2023 will be no exception. Dinner will include traditional Thanksgiving fare and will provide an opportunity for people to gather as a community to share food and fellowship.

The Thanksgiving team, headed by Norine Hazen, will work closely with area businesses, including Safeway which again this year generously will collect “turkey bucks” to provide a Thanksgiving grant to Zion’s. However, food donations, cooks, delivery drivers, servers and monetary donations are needed. If you can help, please let Norine or Jo Moss know, or leave a message on Zion’s voicemail or via email. In this time of giving, we are grateful for the generosity and kindness of so many.