Volunteers help Salvation Army deliver Thanksgiving meals
A volunteer serves turkey to Mary Hughes of Vienna, center, during the Salvation Army of Parkersburg’s Thanksgiving meal Thursday. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
Holly Days Ultimate Princess Alexis Wilcox, front, serves green beans to Mary Hughes of Vienna while her mother Melissa Wilcox, right, 2023 Ultimate Mrs. watches. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
Volunteers box up leftover pumpkin pie at the conclusion of the Salvation Army of Parkersburg Thanksgiving dinner. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
A volunteer serves turkey to Mary Hughes of Vienna, center, during the Salvation Army of Parkersburg’s Thanksgiving meal Thursday. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
Holly Days Ultimate Princess Alexis Wilcox, front, serves green beans to Mary Hughes of Vienna while her mother Melissa Wilcox, right, 2023 Ultimate Mrs. watches. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
Volunteers box up leftover pumpkin pie at the conclusion of the Salvation Army of Parkersburg Thanksgiving dinner. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)
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PARKERSBURG -- A week's worth of cooking and preparing plus a slew of volunteers brought hope to Parkersburg and surrounding areas Thursday afternoon.
"Two hundred volunteers have been here helping us the whole week," said Salvation Army of Parkersburg Capt. Majorie Rowe, one of the meal's organizers. "If the community didn't come together, this wouldn't have happened."
"We wouldn't have been able to do this without our volunteers," said Lt. Anthony Rowe, the other organizer. "They came out in droves."
The volunteers helped prepare turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce and coleslaw.
"Volunteers came in at 8 a.m. getting the food warmed up and packing up trays," Majorie Rowe said.
Majorie Rowe said deliveries were sent out starting at 9:30 a.m. The delivery range included Wood, Wirt, Jackson, and Pleasants Counties.
"We gave out 1,500 meals between delivery and pickup," she said.
Community members could also pick up meals starting at 10:30.
Some volunteers have made helping at the Salvation Army a tradition in their family.
"It's so nice to take meals to people, and they are so appreciative," said Wendi Williams, director of Vienna's Holly Days pageant.
Williams and her daughter Mia, who is Parkersburg Winterfest queen, have been helping serve dinners for four years.
"Everyone deserves to be happy on Thanksgiving," Mia Williams said. "It's a way to give back and show our appreciation to our community."
Another family unit was serving beside the Willamses: 2023 Holly Days Ultimate Mrs. Melissa Wilcox along with her children, Alexis Wilcox, the Holly Days Ultimate Princess, and Asher Wilcox, Holly Days Ultimate Ambassador. Wilcox said she and her family have volunteered at the Salvation Army Thanksgiving for three years.
Anthony Rowe said the Salvation Army was giving out more than just food.
"Some people in this community didn't know how they (would) feed their belly," he said. "They can go days without meals. We can give them hope with a meal.
"We're here to serve," he added. "That's what Jesus did when he was on Earth."