Talk about a culmination of goods.
450 pounds of turkeys (or 100 turkeys).
450 pounds of ham.
430 pounds of green beans.
450 pounds of corn.
350 pounds of mashed potatoes.
170 pounds of cranberry sauce.
350 pounds of stuffing.
2,100 rolls.
170 pumpkin pies.
It was all there Tuesday at the Buddy Taylor Middle School kitchen, getting cooked, sliced, chopped, prepared and “staged” in preparation for Wednesday’s giant Feed Flagler feasts for 2,000 people–anyone who chooses to attend–at 10 locations around the county.
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Those preparing the feast were among the core of the Feed Flagler initiative: Milissa Holland, the county commissioner who initiated Feed Flagler last year; Marc Ray, the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Hammock Dunes Club in Palm Coast, Jason Hall (Hammock Dunes’ chef) and Joe Gianzero, Hall’s saute cook. As 100 turkeys cooked simultaneously in several ovens at 350 degrees, they were literally slicing every ham and pie as they moved methodically through the gargantuan task of preparing a meal for 2,000. Holland brought help: two of her children (Ty and Tori Holman) and Brittany Kovalskaya, a friend of her daughter’s and the freshman class president at Matanzas High School. they were all wrist-deep in preparations, and would be most of the day.
Almost There: $980 and Counting:
FlaglerLive is hoping to raise $1,000 for its part in Feed Flagler. We’re almost there. Every donor is recognized by name in the LiveWire every day. We still need your help. If you haven’t contributed, please do your part and help us get to $1,000. If you’d like your donation to remain anonymous, we’ll honor that request (send us an email here).
Ray and his crew would continue working, presumably with a break for the night, through early afternoon Wednesday (down to the slicing of every turkey) when, staggered at five minute intervals, an entire transportation operation coordinated by other volunteers will transport the food, at the right temperature, to the 10 locations around the county where it will be served–with musical entertainment–from 3 to 6 p.m. “It’s a huge production,” Ray said. “Trust me: when you have the right people in the right place, it makes all the difference.”
Ray and Hall, the chef, will actually be toggling two feasts at the same time: they have a feast for 600 getting set for their club’s tables on Thursday. “My staff is working simultaneously on that function while we’re here,” Hall said. “But we’re here because it’s important to us and to our membership, and they allow us to be here,” Ray said.
Holland launched Feed Flagler last year, with the Flagler County Commission’s backing–and the backing of 400 volunteers coordinated through Jean McAllister’s Flagler Volunteer Services–as a Thanksgiving gift to the community, and a way to raise Flagler’s awareness about the hungrier and needier in its midst. They’re here, in much larger numbers than just two years ago, but they’re not easily seen, especially when it comes to the newly poor–formerly middle class households that lost homes or jobs and are now battling to make ends meet.
The feasts all begin Wednesday at 3 p.m. and will run until 6 p.m., with musical groups at each location. Everyone is welcome: Holland intends the day of feasting to be primarily a communal event.
The locations are as follows:
- Buddy Taylor Middle School, 4500 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast
- Bunnell First United Methodist Church, 205 Pine Street, Bunnell
- Hidden Trails Community Center, 6108 Mahogany Blvd, Daytona North
- Wickline Center, 800 S.Daytona Ave., Flagler Beach
- Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 75 Pine Lakes Parkway South, Palm Coast
- Espanola Community Center, 3055 C.R. 13, Espanola
- Pellicer Community Center, 1380 C.R. 2007, West Flagler County
- St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 609 State Street (U.S. 1) Bunnell
- First Baptist Church, 5328 Oceanshore Blvd (S.R. A1A), the Hammock
- First AME Church of Palm Coast, 91 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast
If you need transportation to a site, call Flagler County Transportation at 386/313-4100 or email: [email protected].
You can still make food donations at the United Methodist Church in Bunnell every week day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or at the Grace Community Food Pantry behind Flagler Palm Coast High School, where you can call at 386/586-2653.
Jes says
?does anyone know if they still need volunteers to help with the transportation or anything else?
kim says
450 pounds of ham? 100 turkeys? Remember Pig Tales Sanctuary? Everyone was so outraged over those pigs being destroyed… living, breathing creatures! Oh, but this is different, right? Happy Thanksgiving you hypocrites.
Orion says
We will be there at the United Methodist Church in Bunnell, helping out.. Our pleasure..
Sassymom says
I went to Buddy Taylor to drop off food yesterday and there was no one there to accept it. I had to go to the main office for them to call some one to meet me to take it. That person did not know what was going on. I wonder what time the photos was taken or is it one from last year? The women are dressed really nice for working in the kitchen. Was this a posed shot?
I would like to know if any of the “volunteers” were on the city clock when volunteering. If so the taxpayers paid for their so called volunteer time.
Pierre Tristam says
Sassymom, you wear you name well. Buddy Taylor on Tuesday was not a drop-off point for food. It was the chosen site for cooking the food because of its large kitchen and central location, for Wednesday’s distribution to ten sites. The kitchen was busy from morning till evening, and will be again today until mid-afternoon. The pictures you see were shot just before noon Tuesday. Your suggestion that it was either posed or from last year, and your comment about “the women” being dressed the way they were, boggle the mind for their silliness: have you no idea how much work these people–and dozens of others, joined by hundreds of volunteers today–have put in to make this possible? None of them is a city or government employee, incidentally. Milissa Holland is an elected commissioner, Marc Ray, his chef and the chef’s saute cook were taking time away from their regular duties at their private company job, where they have equally large tasks to pull off ahead of Thanksgiving (did you read the story?). Are you that aggrieved, that because you had to be briefly inconvenienced about your wonderful donation (I’m sure) that you had to turn it into a bitch session fit for TSA groping at your local airport? With huff like that I have no idea what compels you to donate, but your attitude defeats the purpose. Feed Flagler, dear Sassymom, is not a tea party event.
conpletely flabbergasted says
This has been a very trying year for me and was very much anticipating this event.
On my way home from work today I stopped by the Mt.Calavry Baptist Church on Pine Lakes Pkwy to pick a meal “to go” and a box of groceries.( I have to let my dog out when I get home from work).
When I got there at 4:30 they were out of food.They said to wait it would be there shortly.I waited 10 minn. but could wait no longer.I then asked if I could have a box of groceries and the woman in charge of giving out the boxes told me to “Sit down and wait for the food to arrive!” You must sit here eat and mingle before we could give out food!” I explained to her that they were out and I could not wait any longer and could I have a box of food. “NO-THE FOOD IS FOR PEOPLE WHO EAT HERE AND MINGLE!”
I could not believe it.My eyes welled up and I had to leave.Things have been tough this year and I just did not have the stregnth to even respond,
To make matters worse,while walkiing to my car I saw a mini-van with 3 boxes of food piled in the back.
Jim Neuenfeldt says
Athough I did not participate in the food drive this year, I think its a wonderfull event and the people who work so hard for it to happen are to be commended.
I know ful well what it is like to bust your butt to do something good for the community, and then listen as the complaints roll in.
Pierre – I feel for you, I know exacty what it is like to try and promote and help an event, and then run into a deadwall, or someone like above who is not happy. My heart goes out to you and my thoughts are, “Remember the ones who are appreciative they so out number the rest.”
Flabbergasted…Community is about so much more than what you get,It’s about your time, It’s about knowing people in your community, without that youjust live in a place with a bunch of strangers. Maybe you should have run home, taken care of the dog and then came back and enjoyed yourself. I know it’s been a tough year for you, and a lot of us as well, it sounds like you could have enjoyed the company and the rest?
We would all be better off to remember JFK’s words…Ask not what your community can do for you, but what you can do for your community (Please excuse the adlib)
PC MAN says
I’m “completely flabbergasted ” that someone would complain about having to wait for a FREE box of food. Maybe next time we could deliver it to you at a more convenient time, perhaps on a silver platter.
You know the old saying goes ‘you shouldn’t be choosy’.
conpletely flabbergasted says
In response to PC MAN and Jim, I have lived in this community for the past 10 years and have volunteered countless hours in time and talent to various fundraisers and charities.Service is selfless and comes from the heart.
I did wait and had to get hot meal is not that I did not want to talk to anyone,but I really had to go.Have you ever be anywhere for anyone at a certian time??
.You were allowed to take a hot meal home and supposed to be allowed to take home a box of groceries.The event open to the community and supposed to be with out stipulations.
And do you really think that after being slapped in the face and treated with such dis-respect that I would even return? Would you? Think about it.