A small army of men and women crowded the kitchen in the basement of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on Wednesday night. Many carved piping hot, golden brown turkeys, fresh from the oven. Others took to chopping celery for stuffing or straining broth for homemade gravy.On a weekly basis, the church basement is the site of post-mass gatherings where coffee and doughnuts are served. But each year on the day before Thanksgiving, it is taken over by members of the Knights of Columbus and other volunteers who use it as a home base for preparing and assembling hundreds of meals delivered the following day to Camas-Washougal residents in need.
For the past 29 years, Al Schmid, 75, has led the coordination of this annual effort, which actually starts with logistical planning — securing donations and volunteers — in early October.
The longtime Washougal resident is quick to point out that making the large-scale effort happen year-after-year takes the volunteer efforts of many individuals, including members of the church and others from the greater Camas-Washougal community.
“It’s not a religious thing we are doing,” Schmid said. “It’s a community thing.”
On Thanksgiving morning, people line up at the church to deliver the meals. Each dinner contains enough servings of warm turkey, stuffing, potatoes, rolls and gravy, as well as salad and pie for every person in each household, which ranges in size from 1 to 12 family members.