PITTSTON – This Thanksgiving marks the 12th year the First Baptist Church of Pittston will feed the needy and lonely for the holiday.
The church, located on Water Street and headed by the Rev. James Breese, has fulfilled a need in the Pittston area that Rev. Breese feels is needed. Each Thanksgiving, the church feeds hundred of people and, for the second year in a row, is teaming up with Greater Pittston Meals on Wheels which is offering the use of its kitchen and dining room.
“We (the church) did this alone for the first few years and, from then, we garnered donations from the local supermarkets and people in the area,” Rev. Breese said. “People are willing to help and give because they realize this is real; people are literally starving and choosing between rent and eating.”
Since the beginning of this tradition 12 years ago, in addition to supplying a traditional turkey dinner, church parishioners put together a care package of toiletries, along with hats, gloves, scarves and even book bags.
“There was a young child that came in once with her family for Thanksgiving, and when she was leaving, she saw a book bag the church was giving away and she asked if she could have the book bag,” Rev. Breese said. “The little girl said she would bring it back and I told her she could have it and she began to cry. She said it was the best gift she ever had.”
Rev. Breese said it was at that moment, and it was early in his ministry, when he realized he was doing what God wanted him to do.
“So many times, we think it’s about being in a church building on Sunday mornings but, to be honest with you, the church is in us,” Rev. Breese said. “But it’s what happens outside the church that is more important in some ways because it’s what you learn in church is what you are supposed to take out there.”
Rev. Breese estimates the Thanksgiving meal feeds about 500 to 600 people.
“We even encourage people that come in to eat with us to take leftovers home so they can actually eat on Thanksgiving Day while we eat our own meal,” Rev. Breese added.
Meals on Wheels has been a great partner, according to Breese. Food is prepared in kitchens at the church as well as Meals on Wheels. You can even dine at the Main Street facility.
“The have the walk-in freezer and they offered for us to use their kitchen to prepare food; they are so good to us,” Rev. Breese said of Meals on Wheels.
Enough food and turkeys have been donated and, starting tomorrow, both organizations will coordinate and begin to prepare food for Thursda.
Take-outs will be available for delivery from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov, 27 and dining in will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. The church is located at the corner of Water Street and Kennedy Blvd. and Meals on Wheels is located at 59 S. Main St. Rev. Breese asks diners to go to Meals on Wheels if the line at the church is too long.
“We usually have people line up as early as 2:30 p.m. for their meal,” he said.
