CRESTVIEW — Last year, the Brotherhood of Love served 425 dinners at its first Thanksgiving feast in Crestview.
It surpassed the group's initial 250-person goal and pleasantly surprised Elder Gary Johnson, the group's founder.
This year, event organizers will raise the stakes — starting with the number of people they plan to help.
"I know it's gonna be more, but I'm just gonna say 600," Johnson said.
In addition, he and his wife, Doris Hill, the group's president, will have logistics and culinary help from the Revs. Albert and Kareca Wright.
Great Faith Ministries, the couple's church, will host the feast, which is set for 1-5 p.m. Nov. 26 at 189 N. Main St.
The 4,000-square-foot venue — much larger than last year's site, the Johnson-Hill residence — will allow organizers to serve, and minister, to more people, Johnson said.
"Last year, we were trying to basically focus on the homeless and people that were less fortunate," he said. "This year, this is not just for certain individuals. It's for anyone that wants to come and have a nice Thanksgiving dinner and be in the company of people that are going to show them love."
The pastors' involvement extends to the kitchen. Albert Wright, who once ran Wright Choice Soul Food on Main Street, will bring his culinary talents — cultivated all his life, he said — to the table.
Expect "a lot of things like dressing, sweet potato pies," Albert Wright said. "I also do smoke turkeys and fried turkeys."
"We're gonna bake maybe a few turkeys but the majority of them, we're gonna fry them and smoke," said Johnson, a retired master chef and food inspector. "I got my little secret ingredients."
Great Faith's involvement will allow the growing, two-year-old church — which recently moved from a 600-square-foot space — to expand its outreach, Kareca Wright said.
"We have an awesome leadership team and we cover a women's ministry, men's ministry, youth ministry, prison ministry … a resource center for any single parent that needs assistance with baby clothes," she said. "We do community baby showers, we supply the needs for any teen pregnant mother … We just like to do things in the community that bring families together, which was the original plan of God of course.
"And our heart's desire was to feed the community, so when Elder Johnson and his wife became a part of the ministry, it was a prayer answered," she said. "Now we can join with the Brotherhood of Love and just impact the community with feeding those less fortunate."
First responders — including law enforcement, military families and those who work with emergency medical services — will receive special invitations for the feast, which is supported by Crestview Mayor David Cadle. (See Page 2 for MORE.)
But, just like last year's event, the feast is impossible without community donations, and Hill said she hopes people, businesses and nonprofits will once again contribute.
"I would like to thank everybody for helping us make our (2014) Thanksgiving a success, and we pray and hope that you will reach out and help us this year," Hill said.
Residents can drop off wishlist items (see below) at 398 N. Spring St., Crestview, or call Johnson, 229-379-1741, or Hill, 398-0431, for more information.
HOW TO HELP
Brotherhood of Love needs these items for its annual Thanksgiving feast, set for 1-5 p.m. Nov. 26 at Great Faith Ministries, 189 N. Main St.:
●20 turkeys, chicken leg quarters, pork roast and ham
●Potatoes
●Greens
●Salad dressing
●Cream of chicken
●Cranberry sauce
●Elbow macaroni
●Sweet potatoes
●Pickle relish
●Cheese, onions and celery
●Pie crust, butter, sugar and vanilla flavor
●Soda, milk and juice
●Peanut oil
●Eggs
●Supplies: dinner trays, plastic forks and spoons, paper towels, aluminum pans and aluminum foil, serving utensils, plastic cups and napkins
Residents can drop off items at 398 N. Spring St., Crestview, or call Johnson, 229-379-1741, or Hill, 398-0431, for more information.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview group seeks food to provide Thanksgiving feast