Warm melodies from a calliope greeted guests and volunteers to the ninth annual New Braunfels Community Dinner on Thanksgiving morning.
Mounted on a 1915 Model T Ford, the air pressure calliope pumped through rolls of music like a player piano, playing American anthems and Christmas carols.
Those who parked far away were given rides to the dinner by members of local Boy Scout troops who used golf carts to carry seniors from the ends of the parking lots right to the front door.
A dozen volunteers greeted guests at the doors of the McKenna Events Center, wishing them a “Happy Thanksgiving.”
Inside the dining hall, guests were served meals by a crew of attentive volunteers.
“We had an influx of volunteers,” said Albert Ruiz, who was coordinating the volunteer effort Thursday. So many volunteers, in fact, that some were waiting on a row of chairs for the duration of the dinner, hoping to take over the next shift.
“They told me they might need help with dishes, and I figured, ‘Why not?’,” said Abby Mata of New Braunfels, who was one of those waiting to help Thursday.
Some of the volunteers were recent transplants to the Comal County area from out of state, and decided already they wanted to help out the community.
Tracy and Cindy Kimnach moved to Canyon Lake three years ago from Southern California, and decided it was already time to begin volunteering in the community they love.
“We have a great life and we wanted to give back,” Tracy Kimnach said.
“This is my third year to volunteer, it’s just one of those things that sucks you in,” said Carol Hill from the Tea Room, who volunteered as a cook, along with chefs and staff from the Adobe Café, Westside Community Center and the staff at the McKenna Events Center kitchen.
Singers, guitarists and mariachis were there to entertain the crowd.
The organizers of the dinner this year, the nonprofit Central Texas Advocates for Seniors, anticipated delivering 400 boxed dinners to those who were incapable of leaving their homes to come to the free dinner. Instead, they delivered about 700. More than 400 dine-in guests were served at the events center on Thursday.
