GREENFIELD – Thanksgiving Day is just three weeks away.
While many are shopping for a turkey and all the trimmings, exchanging texts with family about what side dishes to bring, others are wondering how they’ll put much food on the table at all.
Lisa Muegge wanted to make sure no one went without in Hancock County, so she created a Thanksgiving meal giveaway in 2005 at the county fairgrounds.
Once dubbed the “Miracle on Apple Street,” Muegge’s family changed the name to the Lisa Muegge Feast of Plenty after she passed away in 2016.
The event that started out feeding 200 the first year grew to serve 2,500 meals in 2020.
That number will likely double this year.
Muegge’s son, Joel Hungate, said the number of meal requests coming in so far this year are double the amount this same time last year.
“It will ebb and flow, but ultimately I do think we will be at or about 5,000 meals this year,” said Hungate.
“This will probably be the biggest and most widely distributed Feast of Plenty ever,” he said.
Volunteers packed the kitchen at last year’s Lisa Muegge Feast of Plenty at the Hancock County Fairgrounds in Greenfield. The 19th annual meal giveaway is on pace to potentially serve 5,000 meals this year.
The food is prepared at the Hancock County Fairgrounds bright and early Thanksgiving morning, when volunteers show up around 4 a.m. to start cooking.
“The turkeys will have been smoked beforehand and deboned the day before, which takes an enormous load off everyone’s plates,” said Hungate.
Last year, the outreach expanded into Rushville, with a satellite location at the Elks Lodge.
The Rushville Fire Department went door to door delivering meals.
Both carryout and delivery is available at the Hancock County Fairgrounds in Greenfield. As the event has grown, organizers discontinued onsite dining to accommodate more space to package and deliver meals.
“We’re at the point now where it’s gotten big enough, we’re really leaning into the help from the community for donations to continue to grow,” said Hungate.
“We’re happy to share that we’ve registered as a 501c3 nonprofit, so all donations made to the Feast of Plenty will be tax deductible for the first time this year,” he said.
While the Thanksgiving Day giveaway typically has plenty of volunteers – with spots snapped up shortly after they’re posted online – Hungate said a larger team of volunteers may be needed to accommodate the record turnout this year.
What is definitely needed is a record number of grocery sacks stuffed with supplies, he said.
Each year, the Feast of Plenty provides a bagful of nonperishable foods and cleaning products to each household receiving a Thanksgiving meal.
All the requested supplies are listed on the event website, FeastOfPlentyOutreach.com.
In addition to an outpouring of community support, Hungate credits his employer, Hancock Health, for providing “the lion’s share” of bags each year.
Typically it takes nearly 500 volunteers to make the whole food giveaway function each year, “and we will be at or above that this year,” said Hungate.
Volunteering at the Feast of Plenty has become a Thanksgiving Day tradition for many.
“We love hearing those stories about how people look forward to it every year. We have heard from a number of people each year who say, ‘Thank you for this event. It’s something our family looks forward to each year,” said Hungate.
“We’ve been around long enough now that we’re getting multiple generations of volunteers – people who started out here when they were young and are now grown and bringing their own kids to help out. It’s just an incredible testament to our community,” he said.
Hungate can confidently say that his mother would be proud to see the community outreach she started continue to serve legions of people in need each year.
“Mom would be blown away,” he said.
To donate, register or volunteer, visit FeastOfPlentyOutreach.com.
