Taylor Elementary throwing a Thanksgiving bash
School hoping to serve 1,000 meals to entire community; winter clothing giveaway included
Most families in the local community gather together on Thanksgiving Day to share a meal and fellowship. It is a tradition that is held close to the heart, and the memories from that day last a lifetime.
But there are some who are not so fortunate. Taylor Elementary School is hoping to provide a Thanksgiving to remember for those people as well as the entire community. On Nov. 15, from 5-7 p.m., the school will hold a huge dinner and winter clothing giveaway, and everyone is welcome to attend.
“It’s an amazing event,” said Taylor Elementary Principal Matt Nuttall. “It is open to anyone who can make their way to us. Our last dinner in 2019 actually had people from as far as Westfield and Peru attend. We do not turn anyone away.
“We know that in our community there are a lot of families who go without Thanksgiving dinner. We don’t want that to happen. That’s why we hold this free event. We have more than 30 community partners helping us put on this huge event.”
The goal for the event, Nuttall explained, is to provide 1,000 meals. At the last Thanksgiving dinner in 2019, Taylor was able to give out more than 900 meals and 500 coats and winter items. Unfortunately, COVID postponed the event in 2020 and 2021, so the school pushed hard to make this year’s dinner bigger than ever.
“Every single aspect of Taylor Schools is involved in this,” said Nuttall. “Our school board members and administration team will be in attendance. Our kitchen staff is cooking and serving the meal. Our custodians and school resource officers will be here to ensure the event is clean and safe. We even have bus drivers picking up people who cannot get here due to transportation issues.
“Every part of Taylor Schools, from the superintendent to the students will be involved to help our community.”
Nuttall isn’t exaggerating the amount of participation the dinner is getting, Even the kids are involved.
“The kids are helping with fundraising,” said Nuttall. “They help with decorating the school for the event. And we’re doing a coat drive in connection to the event. The kids at the elementary school, middle school, and high school are assisting with that. We will have students volunteering at the event. We’ll have students from the sports teams playing games with the kids in the hallways. Our student mentors will help run the event.”
Of course, the menu is a big part of the festivities. Those who attend will not be disappointed. There will be turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes – all the traditional Thanksgiving staples. And a nacho bar? Nuttall explained that the generosity from local businesses surpassed all expectations this year, and Taylor is very thankful for their assistance and donations.
“We only had to pay for two food items,” said Nuttall. “Everything else was donated. Hot Box Pizza gave us plates and napkins. Outback Steakhouse is donating all the bread. Burger King provided cups. Coca-Cola is providing drinks. McAllister’s is giving us 20 gallons of tea. Cracker Barrel is giving us green beans. Grindstone Charley’s is giving us mashed potatoes. Pizza Hut is giving us bowls and utensils. Hacienda is giving us chips and salsa. And Prodigy is donating a nacho bar to feed 1,000 people.
“On top of that, we are also serving turkey and salad. Meijer gave us a $300 gift card to buy from them. And then my task is to arrange for desserts to serve with the meal.”
The community also stepped up to help offset the remaining costs for the meal as well as for the winter clothing drive. The clothing is an important part of the event. For weeks, people have donated to ensure there are plenty coats, hats, socks, and more to give to those in need.
“We’ve been really blessed,” said Nuttall. “We set a goal to raise $4,000 for the event so that everything can be free. It’s not just a Thanksgiving dinner. We’re also giving away hats, coats, jackets, gloves, scarves, and socks. As of Nov. 4, we had raised $6,161, and we have more money coming in. It’s amazing.”
It is not too late to donate, especially when it comes to winter wear. The school is accepting new or gently used items until Nov. 14. In addition, more than $4,500 of the money raised will be used to purchase additional winter clothing items to include in the giveaway.
The items being offered aren’t limited to children’s sizes. Nuttall said that there will be winter clothing items for everyone from infants up to adults who wear 4X sizes.
“It’s being held at the elementary school, but it’s really not just an elementary event,” said Nuttall. “This is our way of giving back to everybody. We sent flyers to all the schools in county because this event is for everyone who is in need.”
To donate clothing, people can call the elementary school and bring the items directly to school. Monetary donations can be made by calling the school and making arrangements. The school does accept checks made out to Taylor Elementary School. “Thanksgiving Dinner” should be written in the memo section to ensure the money reaches the right place.
The Taylor Elementary Community Thanksgiving Dinner takes place on Tue., Nov. 15, from 5-7 p.m. at the elementary school, 5550 Wea Dr. For additional information or to donate, call Nuttall at 765-431-7593.