October 15, 2022

By Cheryl Schifferdecker
Special to the Tribune

Dating back to the year 1948, the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church (1300 Lexington Road, Pleasant Hill, MO) has held the tradition of serving a large number of people at their Community Harvest Dinner in the late fall, and this year will be no different with expectations of about 500 people enjoying a Thanksgiving-style dinner. Slotted for Saturday, Nov. 5, from 4:30 to7 p.m., this delicious dinner is carefully prepared using the sizeable church kitchen and offers options for take-out, dine-in, or delivery to shut-ins.

The spacious Community Life Center (CLC) within the church offers an excellent atmosphere for dining in with family, friends, or solo in large table areas graced with Methodist hospitality.

The menu includes ham, turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, salads, home-made rolls using a special Methodist recipe, and scrumptious home-made pies for those who save room for dessert.

Through public and dinner-attendee donations, this event will benefit high school teachers and students of Pleasant Hill via “The Rooster Project,” which helps fund classroom items that are often needed during the school year. The fund will enable teachers to help their students without robbing their own pockets.

Although no price is attached to the dinner, donations will be greatly appreciated to support The Rooster Project initiative while offering a delicious full-course meal.

On the average, historically calculating, there are 1,400 rolls made for the Harvest Dinner, 450 pounds of turkey baked and de-boned, 200 pounds of ham baked and sliced, 80 home-made pies served, and over 400 cookies served. Folks, the dinner is a labor of love offered to the community by Methodist church members to benefit the community, and will likely leave your belly brimming and your appetite delightfully satiated.

Diners can also visit the UMW Country Store crafts tables, where popular useful and hand-made items will be offered for sale.

Donations: Checks to Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church (PHUMC), denote ‘Harvest Dinner’ on the memo line.