PARIS — Local women have banded together to provide a free Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 27.

In 48 hours, the group raised enough food to feed approximately 200 to 300 people, a member said.

“The local businesses around here have been amazing,” said Shauna Grenier of Paris, one of the organizers for the dinner at the Paris Fire Station on Western Avenue. Serving starts at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 27.

A total of 20 turkeys, including 12 from the Moss Brook Church in Paris, have been donated, along with all the potatoes and pans to cook the turkeys from Market Square Restaurant in Paris and stuffing for 250 people from Twin Town Homes in Oxford.

The donations are still pouring in. The meal is available to anyone in the area.

Grenier said she and fellow organizer Rachel Follansbee have organized a 5K race two years in a row and have asked for a canned food donation from each entry to donate to needy families. This year, the idea came up to use some of the donations in a community meal.

The group has reached out to Community Concepts, Tri County Health, day care centers, schools, town offices, low-income housing officials and others who might know people who could benefit from the dinner.

Grenier said the food will be collected a day or so before Thanksgiving and kitchens at the fire stations and other places, such as Market Square Restaurant, will start cooking.

Anyone who would like to donate to the meal is invited to call Kieri Delano at Community Concepts at 207-739-6575 or Shauna Grenier at 207-890-1154.

Any nonperishable food remaining at the end of the day will be donated to local food pantries and families in need.

“This is open to anyone. We really want to feed people,” Grenier said.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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