Volunteers are packing “to go” boxes for home delivery for Thanksgiving. (photo by Louise Oleson)
It’s been a tradition in the Devils Lake Community going back decades to a tiny coffee shop in the basement location at the corner of 4th Avenue NE and 3rd Street NE. The Home Café owner noticed year after year that her regular patrons often did not have anywhere to have an old fashioned Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. None of the restaurants in the city remainded open for the day. Even the grocery stores closed so their employees could be home with their own families.
Asking around, the cafe manager found out that times were tough for some of them and not everyone had family or a group of friends to share their meal with on the Thanksgiving holiday, so she set out to provide that for her patrons. Her efforts gained so much favor with the community that the need outpaced what she could do from her tiny restaurant location and limited resources.
Then one of the service clubs active in the community took the project on as the Devils Lake Kiwanis Club recognized a way that they could help make our community better, one child, one family at a time. Which is, in essence, their club’s motto.
If you and your family would like to enjoy a hearty roast turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and pie call 701-351-7285 anytime before the close of Tuesday, Nov. 25 to let the club know how many meals you need delivered or picked up or to eat at the KC Hall on Thanksgiving Day.
The Kiwanis Thanksgiving Dinner takes place on Thanksgiving Day at the KC Hall located at 522 4th Street NE in historic downtown Devils Lake.
Members of the local Kiwanis Club are concerned that this year the demand may be greater this year, so they are preparing to serve more meals, just in case.
You don’t have to be a Kiwanis member to volunteer to help with serving the meal, keeping the tables cleared and ready for use, delivering meals to those in need not able to come in to pick up meals or cleaning the dining room and kitchen once serving is done. Your help would be welcome!
Donations to cover the cost of the food are appreciated whether you can give a couple of dollars or help to pay for an entire family’s meals or more or not – you are welcome at the Kiwanis Thanksgiving Feast!
Next month, for Christmas Day, they will do it all again – this time with roast ham, cheesy potatoes and pie – another fabulous home cooked meal for the community.
