Annual Harvest Pantry Dinner Friday

It's once again the time of the year for the annual Church of Latter-day Saints Harvest Pantry Dinner.

The popular annual event is scheduled for Friday, November 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the church located at 41 Mormon Lane. The meal is a Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings, including a variety of desserts. The suggested donation is $6 per person or $20 for a family. Canned food items will also be accepted, with all proceeds going to the Whitehall Area Food Bank.

Volunteer Donna Loomis said the dinner is usually the Friday before Thanksgiving but due to scheduling conflicts, they changed it in 2019.

The origins of the dinner date to 1978 and it while a community event, it was also to help raise money for a new church building. Loomis said once money was raised for the building the dinner which had become a favorite tradition in the community continued with proceeds being donated to the food bank.

"This is a great opportunity for community members to fellowship together and share a meal while the proceeds of the dinner continue to bless others in our community with sustenance from the food pantry," Loomis said. "The greatest blessing of the Harvest Dinner is to watch community members of all faiths share in each other's company, catch up, laugh and break bread together. That is what our Heavenly Father has commanded of His children: to gather in His name, to love one another and to take care of the least of these."