Parents and faculty at Delaware Christian School gathered Friday to give back to the community with the annual Feast Day celebration in honor of Thanksgiving. School staff, students, and key components of the Delaware community enjoyed a full holiday spread that included turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, stuffing, and pumpkin pie for dessert.
Among the community members expected to enjoy the free meal were members of the police, EMS, and fire departments, as well as the local military. Parents and grandparents of students volunteered to serve the meals, which included 16 turkeys that were donated to the school.
Shannon Gill, the elementary principal, said she estimates the Feast Day meal has been served for at least 35 years, if not more, around every Thanksgiving. Anywhere from 30 to 75 members of the community typically show up to enjoy the feast, she said.
“Our kids view it as a way for them to celebrate Thanksgiving with others by inviting the community in, and it helps them to focus on being thankful for all the people who help to keep us safe in our community,” Gill said.
Gill added, “We just want to make sure our community understands that at Delaware Christian School, one of our core values is to partner with our parents, but also to establish relationships with those outside and care for others as we would ourselves. It’s helping our students to always know that God would want us to look at other people and help them in any way we can.”
Asked what she enjoys most about the event, Head of School Jane Miner said, “I think it’s probably two things. One, it’s just getting to know the parents better. One of our core values here is partnering with parents, and we love having them in the building. We love having them be a part of what we do, and this is one of those events where we can get to know them better.
“The other thing is just having the opportunity to serve our community. Letting the police officers know they can come for food, and the fire department, and this is a good way for our kids to know that they are blessing them.”
