Thanksgiving spirit – and food – delivered last week

After a steady diet of glum COVID-19 news the past eight months, the La Conner area rallied during Thanksgiving week to assure there was holiday flavor here aplenty.

Goodwill and generosity, more than anything, were on the menu.

In the midst of grim economic times, local residents, businesses and agencies on both sides of Swinomish Channel went to great lengths – while observing pandemic restrictions – to assure no one went hungry on turkey day.

The Swinomish Tribal Community held a large food distribution for members the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the Waterfront Café provided its annual free Thanksgiving meal on a take-out and delivery basis and the La Conner Sunshine Food Bank began the week by offering Thanksgiving-themed food boxes.

In addition, families who prepared large Thanksgiving dinners went on social media to offer ample shares of their bounty to those in need.

The Swinomish tribal distribution, coordinated by cultural affairs director Aurelia Bailey, was “epic and record-breaking,” said Swinomish resident and Weekly News contributor Robin Carneen.

Food bank director Michelle Havist, also Weekly News general manager, said the pantry served about 15 per cent more clients than usual the Monday prior to Thanksgiving.

“We handed out 10-pound turkey breast roasts, fresh asparagus and Brussels sprouts to all clients,” Havist said. “Generous donations of 20 to 26-pound turkeys and other holiday meal fixings were set up on a table outside that were offered to our curbside clients.”

Despite a recent second round of pandemic restrictions that nixed indoor dining at restaurants, the Waterfront Café continued its tradition of serving free Thanksgiving meals. So thankful were those receiving chef Dagmar’s traditional holiday dinner and dessert pies baked by Town Council member Bill Stokes – either as a take-out or delivery order – that they donated back around $1,500.

“People were very thankful and generous with providing donations,” said Jaime Stroebel-Reinstra, among a loyal corps of volunteers who regularly pitch in for the three-hour event. “We had a lot of the same people who normally come in for a Thanksgiving meal do take-out.”

The Café, in turn, will disperse the donated funds to worthy causes, as it has for more than a decade.

“The donations,” Waterfront Café co-owner Marla Vallee told the Weekly News, “will be shared between the La Conner Sunshine Food Bank and Hope For Paws.”

La Conner Hook & Ladder members delivered to those in the area who were unable to pick up the take-out dinners, Stroebel-Reinstra said.

Because of that, David Keyes of Sandpoint, Idaho wished La Conner would annex his city for the day.

“Do you deliver in Idaho?” he gibed at one point in a social media message.

There was no kidding around, though, when it came to assuring Thanksgiving here would be fulfilling on several levels despite COVID-19 anxiety.