The November, 2022, Community Meal at Main Street United Methodist Church will be held a week early so that Thanksgiving Meal Kits may be given away.

The Meal Kits will contain everything you need for a basic Thanksgiving dinner except the turkey and will be given to guests at the November Community Meal on Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 5:30 pm. Members of the Church will be preparing 50 bags for the giveaway at 500 South Main Street in Emporia.

Minestrone soup, bread and dessert will also be served to guests at the Community meal.

"During this time of Thanksgiving we are grateful for the opportunity and privilege to bless our neighbors with anything that make their holiday season less stressful," said Rev. Penny Rasnake, Pastor at Main Street UMC.

The Community Meal Mission has been running at Main Street UMC since 2018 (with time off during the COVID pandemic), and was started to help feed those who found themselves with "more month than paycheck," or just in need of fellowship while they ate a fresh homemade meal. While the Meal Kits are intended for those in need, the Community Meal itself is for anyone, regardless of income. The Membership at Main Street understood, from the outset, that it was not only those in need who needed fed, but those who were lonely, too. Meals are also delivered to the homebound.

Each gift bag cost $17 and contains Yams, Green Beans, Chicken Stock, Gravy, Stuffing Mix, Rolls, Instant Mashed Potatoes and a Pie. If you would like to donate to this Mission, you may mail your donation to Main Street UMC, 105 Church Street, Emporia, VA 23847.

Members of the Church will be performing a similar outreach for Christmas with similar Meal Kits that will also include Christmas Gifts for members of the family picking up the bags.

Ten members of the Petersburg Kiwanis Club recently volunteered their time and talent to help Jackson-Feild put a fresh coat of paint on the wooden decks around the Gwaltney School.

Jackson-Feild’s students attend the on-campus school for their educational instruction. Gwaltney School is licensed by the Virginia Department of Education and is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Educational Facilities. The school specializes in teaching those students who have been unable to reach their age-appropriate grade level due to circumstances in their lives to “catch up to their grade level”.

The volunteers had a crisp fall day and were able to complete painting the entire school deck in a few hours thanks to the hard work of these dedicated volunteers. After painting, they gathered in the dining hall to enjoy a nice lunch. The children and staff at Jackson-Feild are incredibly grateful to the members of the Petersburg Kiwanis Club.

Kiwanis International is a global organization of members dedicated to serving the children of the world. Kiwanis and its family of clubs- nearly 600,000 members strong- annually Dedicate more than 18 million volunteer hours to strengthen communities and serve children. The objective of the Petersburg Kiwanis Club is to bring aid to children in need. The club has financially supported the children at Jackson-Field for years and conducted numerous volunteer service projects to further its mission.

The mission of JFBHS is to provide high quality evidence-based psychiatric, residential, educational and recovery treatment services for children who suffer from severe emotional trauma, mental illness and/or addiction. The goal is to restore wellness and provide support for successful reintegration into homes, families and communities. We value each of our residents’ ability to lead well-rounded lives not only after their stay at Jackson-Feild, but also while on our campus. A large part of their experience is education.