BEMIDJI 鈥� It鈥檚 nothing short of a collaborative effort to prepare one Thanksgiving meal, let alone 800.
In the three days leading up to the holiday, however, members of the United Way of the Bemidji Area and volunteers accomplished such a feat.
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Operating from Red Stu Breakfast Bar, the group stayed busy chopping onions, carrots and green beans on Monday. Tuesday was reserved for cooking the meals and packaging would conclude the preparation phase on Wednesday.
Come Thanksgiving morning, volunteers would deliver the meals to 100 families in need.
鈥淭hroughout the whole preparation, we have about 60 volunteers that help us out and then another 40 who deliver,鈥� United Way Executive Director Denae Alamano said. 鈥淲e have volunteer families who sign up to deliver the meals to address the transportation issue that many people have.鈥�
Derek and Brett Leach, who operate Red Stu, Bar 209 and TRC Bar & Grill respectively, cooked up the idea to prepare meals for local families for the first time eight years ago.
鈥淭he event was organized by Derek and I as a way to help out the community,鈥� Brett said. 鈥淲e made a bunch of these meals and put them together for a few families, then realized that this could really grow and expand a lot more.鈥�
The United Way would soon enter the fold to provide volunteers for the ever-growing effort. Not long after, Lueken鈥檚 Village Foods would partner by donating needed ingredients 鈥� a decision that came easy to Lueken鈥檚 North store director Mike McNiel.
鈥淒uring COVID, Denae approached us to see if we would be willing to donate food for the dinner and they would make it. And we said 鈥榊es, we will,鈥欌�� McNiel said. 鈥淚t goes back to our community support and our support of United Way.鈥�
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Several organizations would later support the Thanksgiving meal prep including Stittsworth Meats, which smoked this year鈥檚 turkeys.
鈥淎lthough we do have a giant oven, it鈥檚 really a challenge to roast 100 birds,鈥� Derek said lightheartedly, 鈥渟o we brought on Stittsworth as a partner.鈥�
Many businesses have also provided volunteers including Northwoods Lumber Company, which sends in four volunteers each year.
鈥淲e have been doing this for four years now, and it makes you feel good about helping so many families,鈥� Northwoods鈥� Vice President and volunteer Lori Lundberg said. 鈥淚 like the team effort and I like pitching in to help.鈥�
Lundberg serves as a board member for the United Way and has long supported its mission. Volunteering to package 800 Thanksgiving meals was hardly a decision for her.
鈥淣orthwoods Lumber is very involved in the United Way, supporting them financially,鈥� Lundberg added, 鈥渁nd I wanted to know how to start helping more. This is one of the things Denae asked me to help with, so I brought my husband with and brought a co-worker to help. It just kind of went from there.鈥�
The Leach brothers are appreciative of every volunteer, many of whom return year after year to support the operation.
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鈥淲ith the people that come back every year and prepping everything together, it鈥檚 a lot of fun,鈥� Brett said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 work, though. We did 400 pounds of potatoes this year and it鈥檚 a lot of food, but it鈥檚 really fun.鈥�
Given their new partnership with Stittsworth Meats, Derek hopes to continue expanding the scope of the meal deliveries in future years.
鈥淥ur intention for next year: instead of 800 people or 100 families, we want to serve 1,000 people or 125 families,鈥� Derek left off. 鈥淭here are more families in need than this event ever fully fulfills, so it would be nice to get closer to serving everyone who鈥檚 in need.鈥�
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