Carve the Turkey with Friends at Matawan United Methodist Church

Every year on Thanksgiving, families and friends gather to feast on turkey, stuffing, cranberries and other holiday classics while giving thanks for the aspects of their lives they are grateful for.

Some will be grateful for relationships, some will be happy they again have a job and others will be thankful that they found a friendly place to break bread on Thanksgiving.

The is hosting their ninth annual Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. for everyone who wishes to attend. According to Holly Cahill, the church secretary, the dinner is open to everyone and anyone who is looking for a place to celebrate and give thanks.

"Some who come are people who have no place to go for Thanksgiving, maybe they do not have family around here," said Cahill.

Attendance has grown over the years, Cahill said, and last year the church welcomed almost 100 people into the festive Fellowship Hall.

Tables are draped with table cloths, topped with centerpieces and set with plates, glasses and silverware. All of the food is cooked at the church and they receive many donations from the community. The outpouring of help is so enormous, Cahill said, that they already have more than enough volunteers to cook and serve food on Thanksgiving.

Cahill enjoys the yearly celebration because it is an example of what a community can do.

"We open up the doors to the church for the whole community to come together; it's not just the people in the church. We have the Daisy Girl Scouts who make table decorations and other churches bring desserts. It's really a community effort for us," Cahill said.

This dinner is separate from the church's Thanksgiving basket donations to the Matawan Food Pantry, which provides struggling families with the essentials for a Thanksgiving dinner that they may enjoy in their own home.

Attending the Thanksgiving dinner is free, however the church requests that guests RSVP so they know how much to prepare. The church can be reached at: 732-566-2996