Group plans to take meals to elderly for Thanksgiving

In light of the holiday season, Community Kitchen volunteers will be delivering meals Thanksgiving Day to the less fortunate in Bloomington and surrounding areas.\nCommunity Kitchen, 917 South Rogers St., delivers food to Bloomington residents each year during the holidays. The program, in its third year, focuses on reaching senior citizens in the community who have disabilities or are unable to share the holidays with family.\nThis outreach program is run by volunteers within the community, including Bruce Parrott, a local resident who organizes the deliveries every year. Parrott works as the nutrition director for Area 10 food bank. \n"The holidays are a sore spot for seniors and the disabled if they are unable to get out and enjoy it," Parrott said. "Our goal is to show them that there are people in the community that care."\nCommunity Kitchen welcomes all volunteers who show interest. Most are local residents and professors. The Thanksgiving program is taking about 20 people this year, although Parrott has turned down volunteers because they have received such a great turnout. \nMelissa Baye, a local resident and mother of two, has delivered meals with her family every year since the program began. \n"I believe it is very important for us to do it together as a family," she said. "I want to be an example for my kids, so that they grow up learning to have hearts of service."\nVolunteers come to Community Kitchen Thanksgiving Day and are given a specific route with names and addresses within the area. The volunteers usually spend a couple of hours delivering the meals, but Parrott said the amount of time it takes is up to the volunteer.\n"You have to remember that these are people that are alone for the holidays and maybe even the rest of the year," Parrott said. "They don't get visitors and usually want someone to talk to, so it is really up to you how long it takes."\nIn the past years, the program has been able to deliver about 125 Thanksgiving dinners. The only other organization in Bloomington that participates in a similar project is the Salvation Army, which gives out food baskets.\nPaul Shoemaker, who has lived in Bloomington since 1969, helped deliver meals last year and will be doing it again this year. Shoemaker also delivers food for Area 10.\n"I just like to help others," Shoemaker said. "They don't get a chance to get out and they enjoy having people that care to talk with during this time of year." \nThe Community Kitchen said it wants to focus on making the holiday season more enjoyable for some of Bloomington's residents. \n"I am very much into volunteering; it's in my heart," Baye said. "I have been very blessed and I feel the need to give back. Our relatives are out of state so we know what it is like to not be with family for the holidays"