Hundreds of people gather for Scarborough Community Thanksgiving in 2023. Contributed / Jodi Shea

Hundreds of Scarborough community members will gather from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wentworth School on Thanksgiving Day as part of the ninth annual Scarborough Community Thanksgiving.

The event, hosted by Scarborough Community Thanksgiving, a nonprofit organization, routinely serves around 400 attendees.

“Our hope is that if someone doesn’t have a place to go, or if they just don’t want to cook, they know they are welcome to join us,” said Jodi Shea, vice president of the nonprofit.

Dozens of volunteers serve food, help seat guests, clean tables and more. This year, as they have in the past, Scarborough Community Thanksgiving maxed out on volunteers weeks before the event.

“We have broken the day into shifts in hopes of allowing more people to volunteer,” Shea said. “Our community has really stepped up and we are never short of volunteers.”

While volunteers are critical, Shea said, sponsorships, personal donations, town and school staff help put food on the tables.

“This is a full community effort,” Shea said. “This event is not possible without the help of Community Services, the school department food services and custodial staff and, of course, our sponsors.”

Dozens of volunteers, sponsors and school staff make the annual event at Wentworth School in Scarborough possible, said Jodi Shea, vice president of Scarborough Community Thanksgiving. Contributed / Jodi Shea

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization adopted a curbside pickup model in 2020 and 2021. They served 800 meals in 2020 and over 1,200 in 2021.

While it was a huge success, Shea acknowledged, Scarborough Community Thanksgiving is about more than providing meals – it’s providing a place to gather and enjoy the holiday with others.

“The mission of the Scarborough Community Thanksgiving is to come together with friends, family and neighbors and share a meal,” Shea said. “We were back in person on Thanksgiving Day in 2022. We love the in-person dinner and are thrilled to be back sharing meals with friends and neighbors.”

Scarborough Community Thanksgiving was nearly at max capacity with well over 300 attendees already registered early this week. Registration is now closed, and the organization is prepared for only a small number of walk-in guests.

“This event is extremely well received by the community and we find that awareness of this important community event grows each year,” Shea said.

While attendance is limited, support is not. Sponsorships are still available and donations are always welcome.

For more information on how to get involved, go to scarboroughcommunitythanksgiving.org.