215 enjoy free Thanksgiving dinner

By Mark Ribble

WHEATLEY — About 215 local residents enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner complete with all the trimmings, courtesy of the Wheatley Disaster Relief Fund, Wheatley Food Bank, Wheatley Resource Centre and some very generous donors.

Kimberly Grant of the Wheatley BIA was instrumental in putting the word out a couple of weeks ago to get people signed up to receive the meals this past weekend.

The newly named Wheatley Swans (formerly Wheatley Lioness) also pitched in with carloads of goodies and helped immensely in packing up the meals. They made a $1,000 donation to the Disaster Relief Fund as well.

Turkey dinners prepared and ready for packaging as part of Wheatley’s Thanksgiving dinner program for displaced residents. To the right are dessert packages prepared by local bakers who donated their time and ingredients.

Photos submitted

Grant says they were also able to deliver meals directly to first responders in the downtown area on Monday, October 11.

The turkeys and vegetables were donated by the Wheatley Area Food Bank, and then prepared by Green Heart Kitchen in Kingsville, who cooked, prepared and packaged up the dinner portions.

Grant gives credit to numerous private bakers in Wheatley who answered the call to bake some desserts to add to the fray.

“Some fabulous Wheatley ladies helped out with the baking,” she said. Every donation is a gift that can never be repaid, so I’m sending virtual hugs from our whole team.”