Chris Lowrey
SHAWVILLE Oct. 26 , 2017
St. Paul’s Anglican Church was brimming with hungry folks looking for a warm meal and warmer company on Oct. 26.
The harvest dinner is a staple in the St. Paul’s annual calendar. It has been running for around 50 years, according to event coordinator Carolyn Meisner.
In fact, the event is so popular that Meisner said a lineup had formed outside the church hall by 4:30 p.m.
As attendees streamed past the many selections laid out on the long table at the front of the church hall, Meisner darted back-and-forth in the kitchen replenishing serving plates and stacking dirty dishes.
The breakneck pace in the kitchen saw the more than 30 volunteers cleaning, drying, scrubbing, scraping and filling plates for the guests.
Fixings included ham, beans and just about every type of potato, among other things. One of the main attractions was the plethora of pies available for dessert – if anyone left room.
Meisner, who is the president of the Anglican Young Women’s Association, has been running this event for 15 years.
While she admits that the early years running the event included some nerves, Meisner said she’s at ease after such a long time at the helm.
Asked if she could do it in her sleep at this point, Meisner looked over her glasses and with a wry smile responded, “pretty well.”
While keeping things running smoothly in the kitchen – ever the good host – Meisner made sure that everyone else had a chance to eat before digging in for herself.
As the event wound down and most attendees had a full stomach, several people who looked to be in a food-induced coma made their way to the pie table to make a tough decision on which of the dozen types of pies to sample.
Attendees are encouraged to either bring food or donate money at the door.
The planning for the event started in September with parishioners volunteering to bring different dishes. The event is essentially a massive potluck dinner that the community comes out to in droves.
The Venerable Mavis Brownlee, while sipping on a coffee after dinner, said the event is a great way to gather with friends during a busy time of year.
