Businesses Provide Thanksgiving Meals to Needy Families

The holidays can be especially hard on seniors who are alone. Recognizing a need in our community, several Kearney businesses have come together to make a generous offer. D’Creamery, Fat Boyz, Betty’s Place and Slivinski’s Bakery, with the help of donations from some Kearney residents, are providing 50 free thanksgiving meals to shut-ins and seniors in Kearney and Holt who have no family to be with on Thanksgiving.

Christmas is approaching, and we need more help and awareness of the need and the gap in services for the seniors - Lisa Hoffman of D’Creamery

Betty’s Place is making the desserts. Debbie Hoffman at Fat Boyz is cooking half the turkey and making the dressing and green bean casserole. D’Creamery is cooking the other half of the turkey, and making mashed potatoes and gravy, and sweet potato casserole. Doug of Slivinski’s is donating the rolls. CVS of Kearney is donating bread, bottled water, and napkins.

Carol Dixon, a community volunteer, and Mindy Boyd of Sheri Gillespie Shelter Insurance have located recipients through their work with the Kearney Firehouse Community Center. Dixon and Boyd have also coordinated all of the volunteers who will make visits and deliver the free meal.

Lisa Hoffman of D’Creamery shared, “We are very excited about this, and we plan to do it again for Christmas and expand our recipients. We want to be able to serve more but have had to turn away a lot of requests this time. We are all considering starting a non-profit to pick up where the other non-profits leave off...there are so many underserved.”

To carry out the good deed, the group will need some help.

“Christmas is approaching, and we need more help and awareness of the need and the gap in services for the seniors,” said Hoffman. “Many people are unaware of the number of underserved seniors due to no family, lack of transportation and disability.”

Restaurant owners are trained in proper food prep and sanitation for COVID-19.

They are preparing the food and only accepting monetary donations and help with delivery.

Hoffman said, “We have thanksgiving covered, but will need even more support for Christmas dinners.”

If you would like to help, donations are being accepted by: Debbie Hoffman of Fat Boyz, Lisa and Dallas Hoffman of D’Creamery, Mindy Boyd of Shelter Insurance, Carol Dixon (senior services), Betty Garton of Betty’s Place, Krista Marler of CVS, and Doug Slivinski of Slivinski’s Bakery.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story