LIVERMORE FALLS – They’re making a list and checking it twice to make sure they have everything covered. All Karen Mitchell and Betty Richard need are more people to eat a free holiday dinner.

With two 30-pound turkeys and a smaller one, 15 to 20 pounds of potatoes and at least nine pies among other goodies, there should be enough to go around.

It’s the third year Mitchell of Fayette and Richard of Livermore Falls have joined forces to organize the meal.

They each celebrate the holiday at different times with family members and spend a good portion of Christmas with community members who either eat or volunteer their time to help.

The turkey dinner is to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the American Legion Hall on Reynolds Avenue in Livermore Falls.

Both women said volunteering their time to organize the dinner makes them feel good.

“You go home and you feel like you’ve done something nice for somebody and that’s what Christmas is all about,” Richard said. “It’s fun. The first year it was work to get it all together.” But after that year, Mitchell said, it started to come together.

The dinner is sponsored by the community with backing from the Tri-Town Ministerial Association. The latter hasn’t had to provide any financial support, Mitchell said, because the community has pitched in.

They have lots of volunteers taking care of different things.

“We thought there was a need,” Mitchell said about organizing the meal.

“I would rather be doing something than sitting home alone,” Richard said. “This just seems like something nice to do.”

Mitchell said she went to Augusta one year and helped at a Christmas dinner.

“They had all kinds of helpers,” she said, “and I thought something should be done locally.”

Unknown to each other, each had individually approached the Rev. Joseph Chamberland, pastor of the Eaton Memorial United Methodist Church, with the idea of putting on a dinner.

Chamberland got the two together and won support from the ministerial association.

The first year the dinner was served to 30 people; the second year 50 people were served, both figures included serving volunteers.

This year they’re hoping to top 50.

They also deliver meals.

Anyone interested in a meal can call Mitchell at 897-3593.

And if you don’t feel like eating, stop in for some laughs.

“We just have a good time,” Richard said.

The day before Christmas the church youth group is expected to help set the tables with tablecloths and flowers. Each table has room for six to eight people, and holiday music adds to the atmosphere.

“You look around the room and everyone looks like they’re having dinner at home,” Richard said.

[email protected]