Hometown Hero: Sulphur Thanksgiving volunteers

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - For the past 35 years, thousands in the Sulphur community have come together and shared a meal on Thanksgiving. Volunteers gather and prepare the meal for anyone who attends: families, seniors, elected officials, and the homeless.

Karen Farnum is one of the volunteers who helps deliver meals to shut-ins, “Some people move into the community who don’t know anyone. So this gives us a resource to come together. They can either come together or eat here. Or we can take care of getting their meals to them.”

And it’s that community atmosphere that brings Farmum back each year.

“The feeling is overwhelming. Just to know they’re so appreciative when you get there. We thank you so much for doing this. We would have no way of getting out to get a meal. To have this available to us is just...it’s just a warm feeling to know that they appreciate it so much.”

Another member of the Sulphur Lions Club is Belinda Arceneaux who says it’s nice to help others during the holiday season, “We have families that give up Thanksgiving morning to come up here and help us serve others. Then they’ll go home and have their own Thanksgiving dinner.”

And who started this holiday tradition? Arceneaux credits the late Glenn Bonin in the 1980′s.

“Mr. Glenn, he bled Lions Club in service. He definitely would be excited and proud that we’re still continuing to do this.”

The volunteers come from the Lions Club, Care-Help, the Rotary Club, and the city of SUlphur.

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