BOYKINS
Shiloh Baptist Church is planning to host a free meal on Thanksgiving Day for people who might not have an occasion to celebrate.

Although the church missionaries will otherwise distribute 15 to 20 food baskets as is custom, the midday dinner is planned to accommodate up to 300 people.

A first for the church, the project is the idea of the Rev. Dr. Lillie A. Faison, who is the pastor.

“I want to do something for people who could not afford to sit down to a great thanksgiving dinner. I want to honor them on that day, and serve them, and make them feel very special. A dinner for those who need a meal,” she said.

Of course, Faison won’t be doing the cooking and serving by herself. She’ll get a little help — a lot, really — from her friends.

“We have 29 volunteers. Men who will fry turkey outside the church, and women who will bake. So they’ll have a variety [of turkey to eat],” Faison said.

The dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the church, but this won’t be just an eat-and-leave situation.

Sheril Joyner, a member of the church, said of the pastor, “She’s just a giving person.

“This will be a traditional meal with all the trimmings. A band will perform. Gift bags will be distributed with door prizes given every 30 minutes.”

She added that the volunteers will be formally attired to serve the guests.

Faison and Joyner ask that people who want to attend should contact the church as soon as possible so preparations can be made for how much food should be cooked. The deadline is Monday, Nov. 24, but both women expect that there will be many who will just show up that day.

Transportation is also available, and the deadline is the same. Call 641-9348 for both.

Shiloh Baptist Church is located at 30188 Shiloh Rd., Boykins.