AMHERST — Sitting with around 200 other people inside the Immanuel Lutheran Church Wednesday afternoon, Jerome Pinette of Hadley appreciated the turkey, stuffing, vegetables and other fixings that filled his plate.
“Trust me, this meal is awesome,” said Pinette, adding that he was also enjoying the company of friends and acquaintances. “If you don’t cook, it’s even better.”
At a nearby table, as he listened to music performed by Tim van Egmond and friends, Richard Dresser, a 14-year resident of Amherst, also complimented those who prepared the pre-Thanksgiving community meal put on by the Amherst Survival Center.
“To me, it makes you feel so good inside,” Dresser said.
“What I like is these guys have been great about this. They are some of the greatest people who are doing this for the community,” Dresser added.
The annual event depends on more than 20 volunteers who set up the dining room, work in the kitchen and clean up.
Tracey Levy, program director for the survival center, said 13 turkeys were donated by individuals, businesses and institutions. There were six platters of stuffing, 60 pounds of mashed potato, four platters of roasted vegetables, two platters of squash and two platters of sweet potato donated. NorthStar Self-Directed Learning for Teens in Sunderland made 30 pies for the event.
The kitchen work is coordinated by Florrie Paige, in her ninth year ensuring all the food is cooked and kept warm until served in the buffet lines. Paige arrived on site at 9 a.m. to begin overseeing this.
“People are in need and appreciate it,” Paige said.
Paige said this will be her final year, as she is moving to Ohio to be closer to family. But she has enjoyed the opportunity to serve the community each year.
“I was looking for something to do to give back during the Thanksgiving season,” Paige said.
Chris Howland, a new member of the survival center’s board who works as director of procurement and marketing for Auxiliary Enterprises at the University of Massachusetts, said he was impressed by the effort and how everyone stepped up to help.
“It’s great to give back. There’s a definite need for these types of organizations,” Howland said.
In the kitchen, three generations of the Rising family spent two hours carving the turkeys. It’s been a task they’ve handled for the past 15 years or so.
“We kind of take over,” joked Ted Rising, 90, whose late wife, Joan, was chairwoman of the Amherst Survival Center’s board of directors.
His son Jim Rising, 65, of Amherst, and his granddaughter Jessamyn Rising, 29, were alongside him, first using knives to carve the turkeys, and then various techniques to pull the meat off the bones.
“We try to work in an efficient way,” Ted Rising said.
Jessamyn Rising, who first started the carving work as a teenager, said she makes it a point to arrive from her home in Virginia so she can be part of this Thanksgiving tradition.
“I have my family, but this is just as important,” she said.
The Risings separated the white and dark meat and put it onto the platters that were taken into the dining room, and then placed the bones, skin and other parts of the carcasses into plastic bags so people could bring them home and make turkey soup.
Ted Rising said a fringe benefit of the important work is making sure that the main course will be a highlight for diners.
“We sample the turkey before it goes in,” he explained.
But Jessamyn Rising joked that there are other taste-testing duties.
“We occasionally have to sample the pie, as well,” she said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
