Church spreads Thanksgiving cheer
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

St. Paul's United Methodist Church of Gulf Breeze fed a lot of people free on Thanksgiving Day. Not only did between 200-225 folks from the community show up to enjoy the turkey and trimmings free, but after the dinner doors closed at 4 p.m. volunteers from the church delivered boxed meals from the feast to all three Gulf Breeze and Midway Fire stations to the people having to spend the holiday on duty as well as to the sheriff's office substation in Midway. There was also enough food left over to make boxes for the entire night shift staff at Baptist Lake View Hospital.

Donations for the dinner, both in food and paper goods, were received from both the businesses in the community and members of the church. Volunteers from the church gave up family time the night before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving Day to set up, cook and serve the dinner to anyone that might not have a hot turkey dinner Thanksgiving Day. The dinner was intended to benefit people who might not have any family nearby and would be forced to spend Thanksgiving alone, people not able to cook themselves or those whose budget would not allow the extra expense.

The church volunteers smoked 20 turkeys all night Wednesday to serve Thursday. The money for the turkeys was donated by Navarre Lumber. There were piles and piles of fresh bread and rolls donated by Publix in Navarre, as well as rows of pies from the store. Bakes goods such as pecan rolls and cinnamon rolls were put out for both the workers and dinner guests, all donated from Sailor's Grill Bakery in Navarre.

The Sail Inn in Gulf Breeze donated a large box of tossed salad ingredients, and Cocodries of Navarre Beach baked up five pans of green bean casseroles. There were more than enough mashed potatoes thanks to Church's Chicken in Navarre.

There were hundreds of paper plates, cups, and plastic dinnerware donated from Ace Hardware of Navarre and Winn-Dixie.

The church members brought salads, and yams and cranberry sauce, and stuffing with several vegetables.

The doors opened at noon and stayed open until the last person in line was fed.