You may be hurting, but you are cared for. And you are not alone.
That’s the message the late Carmine Costello wanted to send with his annual Thanksgiving dinner for those in need, which he started 12 years ago.
Costello’s family and numerous volunteers keep that tradition of giving alive, providing an estimated 650 hot Thanksgiving meals from Proverbs 11:25 Ministries, hosted by Carmine’s Pizza Time in Comer. The free dinners are provided for those who are disabled, elderly, out of work, alone.
“The important thing is to reach out and connect and let them know that we care about those families in need,” said Daniel Costello, son of the late Carmine Costello. “It’s not just my family that does this but about 50 volunteers. We feel is important to remind those in the community that we are giving this food to, how much they are cared about and how much they are thought about. We just want to make sure that at least once a year they have a nice, home-cooked meal, a nice hot plate.”
The annual dinner costs about $2,500 to $3,000 to put on.
“We do rely on the community to help support this,” said Costello. “But it’s not just monetary. People donate food, donate a turkey, donate their time, desserts, their prayers, everything.”
Costello said they serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal, with “nice full plates for everybody.”
“Everybody gets a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, dressing, spiral ham, sweet potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, green bean casserole, squash casserole, dessert and fruit,” he said. “As well as my father’s tradition — some mixed nuts. We’re an Italian family, so the more food the merrier.”
