by Alisa Zimmerman
In 2013 I was living and learning in the Pink House and my parents were living in St. Louis. Going back east for Thanksgiving wasn't an option, so I decided to head over to Dickey Playground for the second annual Come & Dine Community Thanksgiving gathering. I quickly realized that I wanted to make this community luncheon a personal tradition and so the following two years I co-hosted tables. After a two year hiatus, Come & Dine returned this year and I decided to deepen my commitment and take on the role of Table Host Coordinator.
It is a fairly simple concept. We set up 40 tables for ten at Dickey Park and members of the broader Lowell community serve as hosts. In my opinion, these folks are the backbone this gathering. The table hosts decorate their tables and prepare a meal to be shared family-style with those that join them. Most tables end up being a mix of the host's own immediate family and those that show up on Thanksgiving day to join in. The beauty of this Thanksgiving meal is that it is not merely handing out food to the needy. No one goes through a serving line. This is not dine and dash. Everyone who comes pulls up a chair and shares a meal and shares their stories.
At my table, we were joined by a couple in their thirties and learned that this was the woman's first Thanksgiving since the death of her mom. Mother and daughter had had a tumultuous relationship for years. The woman had spent much of her childhood in group homes and foster care while her mother was in prison. This past year, she and her mother reconnected and restored their broken relationship. We got to share in this woman's pain mixed with gratitude for the time she got to have with her mom this year. This type of connection would not be possible without having someone to provide a warm welcome at each table. Come & Dine not only feeds physical hunger, but it also provides a place for the lonely.
God's presence and provision were so evident throughout our time planning as well as the morning of. On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, God provided the 40th table host. Our need for tables and chairs was met by FPC. Other partners God brought to us supplied turkeys for our hosts and stands to hold table numbers. We were also blessed with an abundance of door prizes to give away. And God provided perfect weather. We prayed for rain on Wednesday to clear all the smoke from the air and sunshine on Thursday. We serve a good God and it is evident that Come & Dine is all His.
We are already making plans for next year and I cannot wait! It is truly one of my favorite events in Fresno. Until I found this place in 2013, Thanksgiving brought some childhood baggage with it. Come & Dine is evidence to me of how God is always able to take what we break and make something even more beautiful.