Community gathers for Thanksgiving meal

Thanksgiving is usually a time when friends and family gather around the table to share a meal, but at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth, it's strangers that make today's holiday special.

The tables were set, the food hot and ready, as hundreds from all walks of life in Rehoboth sat to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together.

"What you'll see as you look around the room today is people who are maybe a little bit less, have some disadvantages, maybe need something, we have families that come.  We have people who just love to socialize, and so it doesn't matter, everybody and anybody is welcome," said volunteer Linda Cauffman.

The dinner is in it's tenth year.  It grew from an idea to help feed those in need in the community.  Today it serves as a meal for the less fortunate, but also as a way to bring people together.

"People have come up to me and they're just so excited, because they're meeting people they never knew before, and it's started up some really good friendships," said volunteer Dotti Ouland.

The friendships may only take a moment to start – but the event itself takes a little more planning. 

 "We have people here almost 24 hours a day for a week getting everything together," said Outland.  "Two weeks, three weeks before then we're out there trying to collect the turkeys, collect the food.  And there's so many companies outside the church that are giving us things all week trying to make this successful.  This morning we had bakeries coming in just coming with pies, and cookies, and all kinds of things, it's great."

This event has become a total community effort, says Linda Cauffman.

"I went to the bank one day to do something, the woman's like, 'oh you're from Epworth, I have a turkey.'  I was buying spices at one of the stores and the woman tapped me on the shoulder and said here's 20 dollars, put it towards it.  So the community is just an amazing community."

The event's creator, Diane Lietch, passed away this spring from cancer.  Organizers say the event was held in her memory this year.