After the final tabulation, the 2022 Community Thanksgiving Feast was the largest yet.

The 2022 total home delivery and take-out was 1,733.  The total 2022 dine in was 603.

The 2021 total home delivery and take-out was 1,113.  The total 2021 dine in was 434.

Howard Payne University and North Lake Community Church partnered in the 38th Annual Community Thanksgiving Feast, held Thursday on the HPU Campus in the Mabee Center.

Volunteers delivered 613 meals in Brownwood and Early prior to the doors opening at the Mabee Center. Keener said he is very appreciative of all the volunteers and to Steve and Janet Nash who organized the volunteer deliveries.  Keener said there were a total of 127 volunteers who helped make the event a major success.

“Dee Hart of our church did a wonderful job coordinating the entire event.  We felt the momentum developing a few weeks ago, especially when the phone calls for delivery were up over 150 from one year ago,” Keener said. “Then, we kept talking about volunteers and they began to call and we’ve had more volunteers today than in my 13 years of doing this. We ran out of name tags and aprons,” Keener said.

Among the volunteers were the Howard Payne University Lady Jackets basketball team plus countless others who are all appreciated and valued as a part of the team that put on the annual Brownwood Community Thanksgiving Feast.

“This is a unique community concept. It’s very, very special. I just had folks who were here from Minnesota, visiting family, and they said wow, this is so unique and special.  We have been so fortunate and so blessed today to see this many people come out,” Keener concluded.

The chefs at HPU prepared turkey, dressing and gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, yams, cranberry sauce, dessert and drinks for the large crowd.