CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Charleston tradition is well underway.
The 58th annual Frankie Veltri Thanksgiving Dinner will be held at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Charleston Thursday afternoon. Dozens of volunteers were busy Wednesday getting preparing the food and getting everything in place.
Those volunteers will deliver 1,500 to 1,700 meals to Charleston area shut-ins and serve 300 more in person or to go.
Cynthia Parsons, who has been volunteering for 19 years, said Frankie Veltri was a self-made man who became highly successful in his business ventures but his main thrust was to help the less fortunate.
“Frankie wanted to give back to the community–that was his spirit–and our goal is to continue Frankie’s spirit to keep that tradition going,” she told MetroNews Wednesday.
Veltri left money in an endowment that continues to pay for the meals which for this year will include 70 turkey roads, 17 turkeys, 40 20-pound hams, 330 pounds of potatoes, 60 pounds of sausage. 865 pounds of green beans, 2,300 dinner rolls and 300 pies.
Parsons said Veltri left specific instructions in what the meal has to include.
“Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry, pies, green beans and corn. We have to make sure that is served every year,” Parsons said.
My Thanksgiving Family
The preparation of the meals has become a tradition of its own.
As mentioned, Parsons has been doing it for 19 years.
“A lot of us fell in love with it. We became a Thanksgiving family. We really don’t see each other during the year but we call come together (this week),” Parsons said.
By her side was Scott Cummings who began volunteering 29 years ago. He said his inspiration was a family he saw near the feeding site on Hale Street the first year he got involved.
“I saw them walking down the street, it was snowing, they had socks on their hands, the kids did, they had their dad’s coats on, their dad didn’t have coat, I thought, ‘this is where I need to be.’”
Candi Arthur has been volunteering for six years.
“The first year I did it I fell in love with the concept and the outreach it has. The number of people it feeds in the city of Charleston is amazing.”
Arthur volunteers the entire week. She said that’s a small price to pay.
“I think I’ve been blessed in life to not struggle. So for me it’s fine to come and give back. It’s four days and there are people who struggle day in and day out, so what’s four days of my time?”
Parsons said no one will be turned away Thursday. The sit-in meals will go from noon until 2 p.m.
“We want to make sure that you have a warm meal on Thanksgiving Day. That was Frankie’s total goals that people felt accepted, they felt welcomed and then they were fed,” she said.
MetroNews reporter Katherine Skeldon contributed to this story.