With less than two weeks until Thanksgiving, planning is well under way for the annual community meal at First United Methodist Church.

“We’re about two-thirds of where we need to be on everything: donations, people signed up to cook turkeys for us,” organizer Mike Jackson said. “We’re a little behind on the number of people requesting meals.”

For decades, the downtown church organized a Thanksgiving day meal for all who want to come, or request a meal to be delivered to their home. No one seems to know when it began, Jackson said. It’s been an annual event for as long as anyone remembers.

Last year, church members and volunteers served and delivered about 1,350 meals throughout the area.

“We actually ran out of turkey at the very end last year, so we upped everything a little bit,” Jackson said. “We’re planning on more like 1,500 this year.”

The food has already been ordered for a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings, he said. At this point, volunteers are still needed to cook some of the 60 turkeys for the event.

Volunteers are also needed to serve or deliver meals on Thanksgiving, he said. For some families, volunteering has become part of their holiday tradition.

“The more people there are to help, the easier it is to get everything packaged and delivered in a timely manner,” Jackson said.

Those who want a meal delivered can register online or call the church office at 744-5410 up to Thanksgiving morning. The church fellowship hall will open at 11:30

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a.m. for meals, and everyone is welcome. Everything should wind up by 1:30 p.m., he said. Volunteers should be at the church  by 10 a.m.

For more information or to volunteer, check the church’s website, www.winfumc.org/thanksgiving-dinner, or call the church office at 744-5410.

Contact Fred at fred.petke@winchestersun.com.