Families, friends gather in New Bloomfield for holiday feast

November 29, 2013 at 6:00 a.m. | Updated November 29, 2013 at 6:00 a.m.

From left: Lisa Hardin, 7-year-old Brittany Reed and Dale Dietsch sit down for a Thanksgiving meal Thursday at New Bloomfield United Methodist Church. The annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, which organizer Tom Levin has hosted for eight years, continued to draw people from across mid-Missouri who weren't able to host or attend a meal on their own.
From left: Lisa Hardin, 7-year-old Brittany Reed and Dale Dietsch sit down for a Thanksgiving meal Thursday at New Bloomfield United Methodist Church. The annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, which organizer Tom Levin has hosted for eight years, continued to draw people from across mid-Missouri who weren't able to host or attend a meal on their own.

For the eighth year, those who weren't able to have a Thanksgiving meal on their own could still get together in good company for the holidays.

The annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner in New Bloomfield was held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at New Bloomfield United Methodist Church.

Tom Levin and volunteers worked to prepare about seven turkeys, four hams, 30 pounds of potatoes, four gallons of green beans and plenty of other sides, dessert and drinks for anyone who wasn't able to enjoy their own meals with loved ones.

"This is something I believe God has put on my heart to help people," Levin said. "Some people can't afford to have their own, some people don't have family or friends or they just aren't able to, whether they're older or they have a disability."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.