NORTHAMPTON — By sunrise on Thanksgiving, meal prep was already underway.
Fifty turkeys, 250 pounds of potatoes, 150 pounds of squash and 60 gallons of gravy, plus countless desserts — most of it donated from area businesses and supermarkets.
Roughly 100 volunteers buzzed around the basement Thursday at Edwards Church in Northampton, 297 Main St., preparing to play host to an estimated 200 individuals expecting to be served a full Thanksgiving dinner.
Upon arrival, guests enjoyed apple cider, bread and vegetables while they were seated around tables adorned with orange cloths and synthetic flickering candle centerpieces. Everyone gathered had come for MANNA Soup Kitchen’s annual community dinner.
The operation ran more like a restaurant this year with volunteers serving guests at their tables as opposed to a buffet-style set up like in previous years.
Among the volunteers were husband and wife Sandy and Barbara Cortez-Greig, of Holyoke, who said they have been volunteering at the dinner for several years.
“It’s Thanksgiving,” Barbara said. “It’s a time to be grateful. You have to give people something to be grateful for.”
She continued: “It’s nice to be able to smile and say ‘hello’ … It’s a community event, and I believe in community.”
As people continued to flood in, Pam Kowalski, 54, of Greenfield, felt right at home. She’s been coming to the same dinner for more than 10 years, she said.
“It’s the best meal I’ve ever had,” Kowalski said. “I look forward to it every year.”
Kowalski sat at a table of mostly people she had never met. Beyond the benefit of the free meal, she said, she also reveled in the opportunity to make new friends.
“There’s a lot of hungry people out there … A lot of people depend on meals here,” Kowalski said. “I don’t have my family around here. This is the closest thing.”
As Kowalski and others ate, a man in bright red sweater spoke into a microphone and called for everyone’s attention.
“Is he the mayor?” one woman asked. It wasn’t. But he might as well have been based the numerous people who recognized him and the way he navigated most of the gathering space, shaking hands and visiting.
Speaking at the mic was Bob Saalfrank, who had been the principal organizer for six years until 2015.
Complimenting the event, Saalfrank turned to his successor, Ricki Carroll, who was smiling beside him.
“It’s a real pleasure to have someone (like Carroll) take over the job I’ve done for years,” he said.
Later, Saalfrank said in an interview that he made the decision to not organize this year’s event for health reasons.
“It’s a joy to have people come here and enjoy a good meal and have friendship and fellowship being shared,” Saalfrank said.
After the remarks, Caroll said that Thursday’s feast has been about three months in the making. She’d said she’d been at the church since 4 a.m. making final arrangements. For those who couldn’t make it to the dinner, MANNA took orders for nearly 300 home-delivered meals.
“I think that this is an event where people will come and feel at home and feel welcome, no matter who they are,” she said. “It’s open to anybody to come in, all ages, all walks of life.”
As Carroll stood in an assembly line scooping mashed potatoes onto plates of food, a woman — beaming ear to ear — approached the station.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “This was great. Many thanks, many blessings.”
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com.