Members of Clover Baptist Church in Granite Falls shared Thanksgiving with a few of their closest friends – approximately 500 of them.

The church opened its doors to members of the community Thursday to provide a Thanksgiving lunch, free of charge, to anyone wanting to eat, marking the second time in as many years the church took on such an outreach project.

Allen Bolick has been one of the lead organizers for the event and said the new multi-purpose facility at the church offered a terrific venue to reach out to a great number of people at one time.

“We had been thinking about doing it for several years,” Bolick said. “We had just finished our new facility and had ample space to accommodate people. It was built to be used to glorify the Lord, and this seemed like the thing to do. It would be a shame to not put something like this to use for something the Lord would have you do.”

Loretta Wellborn greeted people as they came through the doors for the meal, wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving and welcoming them to the feast.

“It’s just really great,” she said of the meal. “A lot of people would not have Thanksgiving unless we served them, and the whole church is behind this. There’s nothing but good that can come from this. It’s just wonderful.”

That sentiment was shared by some of the people who attended and were served the traditional meal.

“I read about it in the paper,” said Phyllis Fillers, who attended with her husband Eugene and their five daughters. “We have some sick family members to take care of, and this made it easier on us. I think it’s absolutely wonderful, and it really speaks well of the church and community. I think more churches should do things like this.”

Eugene agreed, adding that the event provides many who are without jobs a means to provide a good Thanksgiving meal for their families.

“It really helps those who have lost their jobs and not able to financially help themselves right now,” he said. “It’s a good thing.”

Last year, the church prepared meals to feed 500 people, though the crowd was only about 250. Excess food prepared was taken to Bethel Colony of Mercy for distribution, so it did not go to waste.

Any excess food from Thursday’s meal at Clover will be taken to South Caldwell Christian Ministries for distribution.

“The first time we overprepared,” Clover Pastor Keith Childers said. “Hopefully this time we have a better handle on it. With the society struggling more and more with this economy, maybe there will be people who benefit from this meal.”

For three hours Thursday, church members served traditional Thanksgiving fare to those people who came through the doors. The menu included turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, desserts and drinks, all at no cost to those who wanted to eat.

But the Thanksgiving meal went far beyond the three hours of serving people from the community.

Church members have been donating food items for some time, and then there was the actual cooking that went into the meal preparation. Twenty-five turkeys and five hams had to be cooked – and sliced – to feed the masses, and some church members, spearheaded by the likes of Chris Brown and Helen Reid, started that task as early as 2 a.m. Thursday.

“The need is there, and we have been so blessed,” Bolick said. “It’s almost greedy on our part not to share with others. And our folks have been great about sacrificing their time to make this happen.”

Numerous volunteers from the church and even some visitors came together to pull off the lunch, from cooking and slicing desserts to serving and cleaning tables.

Childers said the outreach for the church was a reflection of Jesus’ love.

“It’s a reflection of the ministry Jesus had here on earth,” Childers explained. “He fed the multitudes; he fed the 5,000. We’ll feed the 500. The bottom line is we’re providing one meal. Beyond that, we are hoping people will sense the love of God and maybe give their lives to Christ.”

Bolick said he knew the meal would mean a lot to those who attended, but he thought church members received a greater blessing for being part of such an outpouring of love.

“We get more of a blessing from this than the people we feed,” he said. “It means a lot to us to be able to do this for others.”

Childers added, “This is not just a meal, it’s a time to be with people, and that means a lot to those who may be alone. It’s rewarding to see someone sit down and enjoy a meal and fellowship together. It makes you feel good. There are a lot of good people in our church, and it blesses us to offer this.”