- A group in Bainbridge drove door to door delivering Thanksgiving meals Thursday.
- It’s a tradition that began in the 1980s.
- Watch the video above as neighborhood reporter, AJ Douglas, rides along during the deliveries.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A group is feeding 400 neighbors not just in Bainbridge but throughout Decatur County.
Joe Livingston, CEO of Mayo Livingston Thanksgiving Dinner, said, "if we can make just one person have a better day then we've done our job."
After finding out a local church delivered hot meals Thanksgiving morning this neighborhood reporter decided to ride along. Around 60 volunteers lined up at First United Methodist Church while plates were filled with turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, stuffing and dessert.
It’s nothing short of a traditional Thanksgiving meal thanks to a decades-long tradition known as the Mayo Livingston Thanksgiving Dinner. Groups of volunteers packed up meals and hit the road delivering meals to our most vulnerable neighbors.
I asked to tag along to get a firsthand view of all the holiday feels.
Volunteer: "We're with the Methodist church."
Neighbor: "The Methodist church? Aw, well thank you very much."
I watched as this family of volunteers patiently waited for a neighbor to meet them at the doors as 75 people on the receiving end of the meal delivery were sick and shut in while many others were disabled. Each time we were met with smiles and an unmatched sense of gratitude.
We traveled through downtown Bainbridge and ultimately made our way north of the city delivering food to those in more rural areas. I asked volunteers why they sacrifice hours from their own holiday time to give.
Volunteer, Meredith Maxwell, told me, "it's nice to share the day with other people in the community and it's a good reminder of all the things we have to be thankful for."
One of the younger volunteers shared how it felt to give and admits the holiday meals looked so good they could tempt even the biggest giver.
"It felt good, said volunteer, Caroline Maxwell. “I honestly wanted to eat it."
Overall, 400 meals went out for delivery. The church receives a different list of names from the local school department, Salvation Army, and the BAIN organization which support disabled community members.
CEO, Joe Livingston, said his father, Mayo Livingston, started the Thanksgiving dinner in the late 1980s. "I'm thankful for these people behind me. I couldn't do it without them."
Livingston said he is always accepting donations to fund the 400 meal project.
