By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Cars lined up for nearly half a mile on D St. as more than 700 turkey meals were served at a church fundraiser.

Inside at Hillsboro United Methodist Church, the kitchen was a beehive of volunteers as 52 volunteers spent the morning, afternoon, and evening preparing turkey dinners for hungry diners.

All were there to help with an annual drive-through turkey dinner.

It takes a lot of food to feed more than 700 people. Cooks roasted 27 large turkeys the day before the meal.

Besides turkey, 40 cooks prepared 120 pumpkin pies, and 18 cooks prepared 148 dozen rolls.

“I’m the apprentice,” Debi Hughbanks said as she mixed stuffing together. “These people have been doing this longer than I have.”

Co-coordinators Brenda Kimberly and Marie Adams spent Friday morning preparing gallons of gravy.

On the menu was sliced turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, and pie.

The church has served a November turkey dinner, usually on the first Friday of the month, for 35 years. It served a sit-down meal in fellowship hall the first 30 years.

When COVID-19 struck in 2020, the traditional meal was changed to pickup only. That worked so well the church kept it that way.

Everyone at the church is involved, Kimberly said.

“We couldn’t do this without the church,” she said. “When we were doing the drive-through and fellowship hall meals, we had everybody come in. There were even grandchildren who came in.”

She loves the project because it gives her a sense of community involvement.

“It’s helping people,” she said.

The meal is by donation, and no one is turned away.

Proceeds are used to help fund mission projects selected by the church.

The projects include scholarships for children in Zimbabwe, United Methodist Committee on Relief, Marion County Core Community, Camp Horizon and Camp Chippewa, Food 4 Kids, Hillsboro Senior Center, Hillsboro Community Child Care Center, and family assistance for a family with medical issues.