KINGSTON – There were sounds of scattered chatter, utensils and plates as the Crossroads Christian Fellowship closed out its nightly dinner Wednesday.
But in less than 24 hours, Thanksgiving dinner would be served for the 11th time in a former Baptist Church in Uptown Kingston.
“Between all the rooms we can fit about 180,” said Frank Vernol, the church’s pastor. “Last year we did 300 dinners.”
After dinner was finished Wednesday, the long rows of plastic tables and all the chairs were folded up. The entire dining space was vacuumed before all the tables and chair were reassembled for Thanksgiving dinner, along more tables and more chairs in adjoining rooms.
Volunteers then decorated the tables for the dinner that will serve 300 pounds of turkey and about 200 pounds of potatoes.
“Without sounding ridiculously arrogant, we put on as good dinner as anybody is going to have at their home,” said Vernol. “There’s no fake potatoes. We peel the potatoes.”
Dinner will start at 1 p.m. and continue until everyone is finished with their meal.
“We stop whenever everybody stops eating. We don’t kick anybody out. We let them sit and hangout,” said Vernol. “It’s Thanksgiving, man.”
