LAHARPE — Nicole Henry hopes to host a few folks for Thanksgiving this year — 150 of them.
Henry, manager of the LaHarpe Senior Center, is stepping forward to put together a community meal on Thanksgiving Day at LaHarpe City Hall.
Since Tuesday — when a discussion with her children sparked the idea for a community meal — Henry has scrambled to contact local groups and others in the community.
She’s already secured some of the necessary equipment and even the venue.
But what she needs is food. And lots of it.
Henry put pen to paper to determine how much turkey, potatoes, etc. would be necessary to feed 150 people.
The numbers are staggering.
She figures 150 mouths would require 225-300 lbs. of turkey; 80 lbs. of potatoes, up to 30 lbs. of stuffing, 40-60 lbs. of canned vegetables, and five gallons of gravy.
And that’s not to mention such items as milk, rolls, butter and other fixings, such as sweet potato casserole or cranberries.
A rough estimate puts the cost of the dinner at $1,500.
HENRY said the idea for the Thanksgiving meal came after she learned there would be no such community get-together in LaHarpe this year.
And with the ongoing government shutdown, and families grappling with the possible loss of SNAP funds, coupled with a community already struggling to make ends meet, they wanted to do what they could.
“They’re all excited about helping,” Henry said of her school-age children. “We know the need is out there.”
If the plans come together, Henry and crew will begin cooking the evening prior.
“We’ll probably have a roaster plugged into every outlet in my house,” she joked. “But we’ll get it done.”
Those willing to help, either financially or with food donations, can contact Henry at (620) 875-6036, or Mike Knavel at (620) 228-2872.
