Adrian Senior Center serves more than 130 meals during community Thanksgiving dinner

ADRIAN — Thanksgiving merriment arrived a week early when it was enjoyed by many Thursday at the Adrian Senior Center.

This year’s celebration — as it has been said many times throughout the year — appeared to be a little more “normal,” considering the 2020 Thanksgiving at the senior center was conducted in a drive-thru format because of coronavirus pandemic concerns.

The senior center still offered a drive-thru format this year along with a scaled down in-person gathering that was spread across several rooms. Tables were spaced 6 feet apart.

Many residents have said they enjoy the flexibility and the convenience of being able to remain in their cars and pick up their meals curbside, according to Adrian Senior Center Director Jennifer Perry.

Krystina Davidson, the senior center’s assistant director, passed out more than 60 to-go Thanksgiving meals beginning at 11:15 a.m. In-person dining began at 11:30 a.m. Besides serving Thanksgiving meals Thursday, the senior center had a full slate of activities on the itinerary including early morning yoga, Zumba classes, bridge games, model airplane flying demonstrations and afternoon Christmas crafting.

“Usually, Thanksgiving meals (at the senior center) are in the gymnasium,” Perry said. “It looked a little different this year. We are trying to stick to COVID restrictions as much as we can, where we served meals at the tables in a more restaurant-style format."

Between curbside and dine-in orders, more than 130 meals — complete with turkey, gravy, masked potatoes, stuffing, green beans and dinner rolls with butter — were served.

Most of the meal prep and decorating around the center took place Wednesday, Perry said. Some kitchen staff arrived as early as 4:30 a.m. Thursday to get started on Thanksgiving meals.

Efforts of the staff did not go unnoticed by those in attendance.

“It worked out quite well,” said Elna Hutchens. “They did a really nice job of making this meal come together.”

Hutchens, along with 16 other senior center guests, returned for the first time since 2019 to share in a Thanksgiving meal at the senior center. The Adrian High School Class of 1954, which meets monthly for brunch at The Family Kitchen Restaurant in Madison Township, has celebrated a class Thanksgiving luncheon at the senior center since 2015. Last year’s holiday get-together was a wash because of COVID.

Class member Nancy Smith was the one who kickstarted the annual Thanksgiving get-together for the class at the senior center.

“We all go different places for Thanksgiving dinner. Some of us have families locally, and others don’t,” Hutchens said. “Thanks to Nancy, she thought, ‘Why didn’t we get together at the senior center and have our own Thanksgiving as classmates?’ There was going to be turkey and dressing and it made sense that the Class of 1954 celebrate their own Thanksgiving here.”

Even though 17 to 25 — give or take — of the class members see one another each month for brunch, it was still a special occasion to be back together for Thanksgiving for the first time since 2019.

Larry Stephens, the class of 1954’s “leader,” said he was especially thankful to be back together with his classmates as he has spent a majority of the year recovering from COVID-19, pneumonia and other illnesses.

Stephens is currently residing at ProMedica Charlotte Stephenson Manor in Adrian, as he continues to recuperate. He was diagnosed positive for having COVID-19 Jan. 30. He spent several weeks at ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital before moving to Hillsdale Hospital and then to the Lenawee Medical Care Facility. He’s remained at Charlotte Stephenson for at least six months now and has not returned home since testing positive for COVID-19.

“It’s been a struggle. There have been a lot of people, of course, who did not make it,“ Stephens said, talking in front of his classmates. “Others have been on ventilators. I was not on a ventilator. I was on oxygen, and I had pneumonia at the same time. It’s really nice to see everybody here.”

While being treated in the care facilities, class members mailed “get well soon” cards to Stephens, which he said he enjoyed receiving very much. One of the cards, however, was a bit difficult for him to read. The card had a blue background, and the writing on the inside was all in blue pen.

“I couldn’t read a damn thing,” he said. “But I really enjoyed every one of them. I have them all. I appreciate everything you have done. You are a good and great class.”

Several staff members at the senior center partook in their first Thanksgiving celebration at the center. Terri Powell and Ruth Hernandez are two individuals, in particular, who have been working at the senior center for nearly half of the year. Both of them said serving and treating the guests to a Thanksgiving dinner was a “rewarding experience."

There wasn’t any pumpkin pie served with dinner this year, but instead an in-house pumpkin mousse dessert was served. It was topped with whipped cream.

“We taste tested it (on Wednesday), and, I must say, it was pretty good,” Perry said.

Another community Thanksgiving meal was also served this weekend. The Daily Bread of Lenawee, in Adrian served traditional Thanksgiving meals from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian Senior Center celebrates Thanksgiving with the community