Several public dinners are planned across the North Olympic Peninsula today for people wanting to share the Thanksgiving Day holiday with other community members.
Each event offers a home-cooked meal, plenty of holiday cheer and a chance to chat with neighbors.
In Port Angeles, a community Thanksgiving Dinner will be served at the newly opened Serenity House single adult shelter.
The dinner will be served from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the shelter, 2321 W. 18th St.
Anyone can attend the dinner. Donations are not necessary, but will be accepted.
Serenity House Executive Director Kathy Wahto said it was a goal to have the annual Thanksgiving dinner in the new shelter which was dedicated earlier this fall.
The new facility expanded emergency shelter capacity and includes adequate bathrooms, a commercial-sized kitchen, separate counseling and meeting areas, and a medical treatment room.
The shelter can house 50 beds compared to the old shelter which could only support 33.
A free Thanksgiving dinner will be also served at Olympic Vineyard Christian Fellowship, 3415 S. Peabody St., in Port Angeles.
The meal will be served at 1:30 p.m. featuring turkey, ham and all the fixings.
If people wish to contribute a side dish they can do so, but bringing food is not a requirement.
In Jefferson County, a community Thanksgiving meal will be served in Chimacum for the 11th consecutive year.
Doors open to the dinner from noon to 3 p.m. in the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 W. Valley Road.
The dinner is sponsored by OlyCAP — Olympic Community Action Programs — and will be served by volunteers.
This year the meal will include turkey, ham, gravy, stuffing, cranberries and various types of pie.
Any one is invited to the event and meal delivery requests can be phoned in directly to the kitchen at 360-732-4433.
Monetary donations are always welcome, but not required.
Leftover food will be used by the Chimacum Senior Nutrition Program and money will help support the Christmas Day community dinner.
In Port Hadlock, Li Li-Mei Raiguel owner of Joy Luck Chinese take-out restaurant and Hadlock Cafe will host free community traditional Thanksgiving meal and Chinese specialties.
Meals which include turkey, yams, mashed potatoes and pies and Chinese food will be served from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Joy Luck, 81 Chimacum Road, Port Hadlock
