West Point mayor, downtown businesses and volunteers give out free Thanksgiving meals

Published 12:00 pm Thursday, November 28, 2019

WEST POINT — Greater Valley Area residents in need of a hot meal on Thanksgiving were treated to turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and bread by Mayor Steve Tramell, downtown West Point businesses and several volunteers.

At the intersection of 10th Street and Martin Luther King Drive, Tramell, business owners and volunteers with the Point Refuge Church gathered to prepare food for those in need Thursday.

The volunteers prepared about 250 meals on Thursday and were nearly out of food by 11:30 a.m.

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Those needing a meal were able to walk up to a white Jackson Heating and Air tent on Martin Luther King Drive and somebody would hand them a plate.

Tramell said he was confident the group would run out of food but he said he would put on the event regardless of how many people showed up.

“It wouldn’t matter if it were a handful or if we ran out of food, we still would have done this,” he said Thursday.

Other sponsors included several West Point organizations, such as Chattahoochee Fuller Center, Chic Delights, Coach’s, Mama’s Wings and Things, Miso Sushi House, Pokey’s, American Smokehouse, Rogers BBQ, Johnny’s Pizza, Korean BBQ House, Kim’s Korean Restaurant, West Point Fire Department and Refuge Point Church.

Matthew Thrower, pastor of Refuge Point Church, said although Thursday is Thanksgiving, the church is always looking for ways to serve others.

“It’s not just about the day, it’s what we do,” he said. “This is something we are committed to — serving any way we can, and it just so happens we are serving on Thanksgiving.”