By Carol Britton Meyer

Continuing a more than 10-year tradition, organizers Craig Wolfe and his family – with the assistance of more than 240 volunteers – prepare and deliver complimentary Thanksgiving dinners to 900 households in Hull and surrounding communities. Wolfe is Hull’s emergency preparedness coordinator.

Daddy’s Beach Club will serve 100 meals to adults and children at the restaurant that afternoon and provides supplies for the meals.

Other volunteers include the Nantasket-Hull Rotary Club, a number of local restaurants, and members of the community, all working as part of a community-wide effort to spread joy and love on Thanksgiving.

‘Nice feeling for volunteers and those enjoying the meal’

“This is a good opportunity for people of all ages to share their different skill sets, whether cooking or organizing a large event, to provide meals to so many people – including those facing food insecurity and others who just would like to get together with other members of the community on Thanksgiving,” Wolfe told The Hull Times. “It’s a nice feeling for both the volunteers and those enjoying the meal.”

The dinners include turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, and homemade pumpkin pie. Bags of groceries are also provided for each individual or family.

Jim O’Brien from Jake’s Seafood Restaurant donates the turkeys, Weinberg’s provides the stuffing and pies, the SandBar heats the vegetables and the pies, and Daddy’s cooks and hosts the meal for those wishing to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner there.

The first year Daddy’s opened, in 2010, owner Jeff Lemkin partnered with Wellspring Multi-Service Center for the first buffet-style community Thanksgiving dinner for Hull residents, serving about 40 to 50 meals. The success of the program is evidenced by the greatly increased number of volunteers and recipients.

Participants can either pick up their food at Daddy’s, 280 Nantasket Ave., eat at the restaurant, or have the meals delivered to their homes.

Effort is in the spirit of friendship

“A lot of people are unable to drive or don’t have transportation, and we wanted to include them,” Wolfe said. “Providing Thanksgiving dinners helps people feel cared for, and those who dine at Daddy’s have a chance to socialize with other community members, including children, in the spirit of friendship.”

Volunteers arrive at Daddy’s at 7 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning to unload the supplies and prepare the kitchen for cooking. Plating of the food and filling of grocery bags begins around 8 a.m., so that meals are ready for delivery by 9 a.m.

Meal pick-up time is between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. in front of Daddy’s. An assembly line puts together the food for each destination, whether for an in-person pickup or delivery.

“Every year our extended family comes together at Thanksgiving to make sure that everyone who would like one receives a hot meal,” Wolfe said.

The community is invited to make donations in support of this effort and to help keep the program going. Each meal costs about $25. The Rotary Club is accepting checks made out to Nantasket-Hull Rotary Club by mail at P.O. Box 38, Hull, MA 02045, or by Venmo using the QR code. Earmark the donation by noting “Thanksgiving.”

Those wishing to register for a meal delivery should call Kim at 781-925-1165. For reservations to eat the meal on-site beginning at noon, call 781-925-3600.

Volunteer opportunities

Anyone who would like to volunteer to assist on Thanksgiving morning, or has questions about the program should contact Wolfe directly, 781-771-6416. Volunteer opportunities include cooking, serving, plating meals, cutting pies, boxing and bagging, loading, delivering, and “smiling and laughing!”

This effort is in partnership with the South Shore Community Action Council and The Outreach Program (Ending Hunger. Enriching Lives), which also provide food.

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