John Bopp (left), Loren Gold and other volunteers de-bone turkey at St. Michael Parish Hall Wednesday in preparation for Thursday's Community Thanksgiving Dinner. A collaborative effort between area churches, donors and volunteers, the group prepared 85 turkeys and anticipated making over 1,100 meals to go.

A group of volunteers spent Thursday surrounded by enough food for more than 1,000 Thanksgiving dinners.

Although they spent long hours preparing and then distributing about 1,500 meals Wednesday and Thursday, the volunteers of St. Michael the Archangel church, located at 432 Center Ave., were thankful they were able to provide for others.

“You enjoy doing it for the people who need it,” said Jayme Russo, one of the organizers of the distribution.

According to Nevins Parkinson, who acts as dispatcher for the distribution, the church has been hosting a Thanksgiving meal distribution for more than two decades.

Read more in Friday's Butler Eagle.