The Community Food Pantry and Newton County Ministers Union are looking for food donations and volunteers for the 24th annual community Thanksgiving dinner, which is offered to the less fortunate and senior citizens looking for a free, hot meal Thursday.

The meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Newton County Theme School at Ficquett, 2207 Williams St., Covington; people can also call and request a meal be delivered to their house.

However, in order for the meal to be a success, volunteers are needed to prepare the meal and serve the food and more donations are also requested.

Food pantry director Rosalee Thompson said she could still use canned green beans, corn, cranberry sauce, desserts, drink mix (such as lemonade, Kool-Aid or tea) and dinner rolls. Gallon cans of vegetables are preferred; Thompson recommended stores like BJ's Wholesale Club in Conyers and Freshway Market in Social Circle.
People can bring donations to the food pantry, 7125 Turner Lake Circle SW, Covington, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Donations can also be dropped off at the theme school between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday.

In addition to all of those side dishes, thanks to the donation of a local church, Thompson said the staff will be cooking around 60 turkeys for the meal.

Volunteers are needed to help prepare food beginning at noon Wednesday at the theme school and early on Thursday morning to begin taking meat off the turkeys which are cooked overnight in smokers.

"If you want to come and eat there, we're not going to turn you away," Thompson said.

The dinner feeds anywhere from 700 to more than 1,000 people annually.

For more information, call Thompson at (770) 784-0037 or the Rev. Willie James Smith, director of the minister's union, at (678) 487-5083.