By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
The annual Community Thanksgiving Service will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Geneseo High School Performing Arts Commons, 700 North State St., Geneseo.
The Rev. Hunsaker, pastor at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Geneseo, will give the message. An offering will be collected for the Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry.
Pam Edwards, director of the Geneseo Community Choir, will lead a Community Choir at the Thanksgiving service. All are welcome to participate in the Choir, with rehearsal beginning at 3 p.m. Anyone interested in joining the group for the worship service is asked to contact Pam Edwards at singplay53@gmail.com.
Coffee and pie will be served at a time of fellowship after the worship.
The Community Thanksgiving Service is planned by the Geneseo Ministerial Association, of which the Rev. Laura Kamprath, pastor at First Lutheran Church in Geneseo, serves as president.
ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE GENESEO-ATKINSON FOOD PANTRY
The mission of the Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry is to provide assistance to people in need, a need that continues to increase.
Nicole Freadhoff, assistant director of the Food Pantry said the number of households being served has steadily increased over the last few years. …”There are so many factors that contribute to our increased numbers,” she said.
In October of this year, the food pantry served 318 households, compared to 210 households in October of 2023.
Freadhoff said the staff is seeing a lot of new guests, “over 100 new guests since last October. We serve our guests 27 hours a week in comparison to some other agencies that are only able to be open once or twice a month.”
In addition to basic needs, the food pantry staff and volunteers are distributing the toys collected in local toy drives, and Freadhoff added, “Many parents do not have extra money right now to purchase Christmas presents for their children.”
New, unwrapped toys can be donated during regular houses of the food pantry which are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays. The food pantry is located at 620 West Main St., Geneseo.
As a result of the generosity of the community, every family the food pantry serves in November can receive a Thanksgiving basket, and the guests can choose the items they want in their basket.
Basic information about the food pantry, the needs, and how to donate can be found by visiting www.geneseofoodpantry.org.