Bushel feeds 600+ neighbors

During times of frustration and trouble, it can be difficult to remember things that make us grateful.

A community of volunteers served up hope and a hot meal Thanksgiving morning during Bushel of Blessing, the first of an expected annual event where local churches and volunteers came together and provided food for more than 100 families.

“There are 623 people getting fed,” said Jonna Alvarado of Kingdom Movement ministries, who was organizing volunteers around the busy kitchen at Dublin’s First Baptist Church.

FBC is home to Iglesia Camino Al Reino, one of three churches heading the event, along with Cottonwood Baptist and Church for the Lost and Found.

Church for the Lost and Found was also preparing more than 30 turkey dinners at their site which were loaded on vans for delivery.

Both sites had people delivering up turkeys and assembling meals as early as 6 a.m.

“Some of us have been here since four o’clock in the morning,” said Alvarado, who also reported volunteers working the day and week before.

This is to say nothing of the many volunteers cooking turkey at home, with many cooking two or three birds and some cooking as many as twenty plus.

Alavarado said planning started about a month before the holiday once Kingdom Movement realized that no churches were providing a Thanksgiving meal for Dublin neighbors in need. The churches quickly volunteered to assist with First Baptist Church in Stephenville also making a sizable donation.

Turkeys were provided by Cottonwood and Mattressville.

Alavarado also said Greg Bruner, Jimmie Byler and Charlie Bradberry were instrumental in helping the event.

Alavarado said Bradberry suggested the family style meals when making his donation and the organizers realized that “God is trying to do a mighty restoration in families right now- and a lot of times sitting together at a table instead of separating out to different areas gives time for conversation and laughter. Sometimes we lack this in our busy lives.”

Every family got turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, macaroni, mixed vegetables and either pie or cobbler.

Portions ranged from half a turkey for one or two person families to multiple turkeys for large families.

“They’re getting enough for several meals,” said Alvarado.

Families were chosen based on the suggestion of churches, the school and the Love Basket Food Pantry.

“Some of the people we’re delivering to don’t even have running water or electricity,” said Alvarado. “We forget that people are truly in need.”

Alavarado said one of the main goals was to feed spirits as well as stomachs, reminding people that churches are still open and available to offer hope in troubling times.

“We plan on this being an annual opportunity to serve our community as we heard many stories that people had prayed for food to eat and we showed up with it,” Alvarado said. “Answering the prayers of people was our goal.”