For DeBorgia resident Meghan Stevens, Thanksgivings has always been one of her favorite holidays. Spending the day with family and friends, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and then some beloved football.

She enjoys cooking and tries to contribute as much as possible to the annual feast. As thankful as the day can be for many, Stevens had grown more aware over the years of those who don’t have the means to partake in a Thanksgiving meal.

That’s why last November Stevens decided to organize food donations and brought turkey dinners to those in need.

Stevens expressed, “The joy I feel on Thanksgiving, being with family, eating good food, is something I want everyone to be able to do. I hate thinking that there are people out there who aren’t able to enjoy the holiday because they couldn’t afford a big dinner. If I can ease their minds by providing them with dinner so that they can enjoy the day and be with their loved ones, then I have done what I have set out to do.”

With the pandemic and the economic downturn, the last few years have been hard on everyone. She said, “I wanted to do something to not only bring some joy to myself, but to help people and their families and the community.”

Last year Stevens went around picking up boxes and food items from people all around the county that wanted to help the cause. She then brought the generous donations to her house and put together boxes according to family size. This thoughtful gesture ensured numerous families had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to share.

“I even had a gentleman that met me at Darlow’s and purchased a few turkeys to make sure that every family got one. This year, I have people all the way from southern Idaho who are originally from the area that want to donate so they will be sending money and I will purchase as much as I can with that,” explained Stevens.

Donations have increased tremendously this year, and what she’s looking for now are names of families or individuals who are in need and could benefit from a Thanksgiving meal. Stevens is willing to assist families even outside of the area, such as Missoula and Sanders County.

Stevens recalled, “I made a simple post in the Mineral County Community page on Facebook last year about how I wanted to provide a meal for a family in need and it grew from there. It’s amazing how everyone in the community comes together to help when it comes to these sorts of things.”

Last November Stevens successfully supplied 10 families in Mineral County with dinners, plus one down in Missoula. She personally delivered a dinner all the way to East Missoula last year. She stated, “I’m willing to help anyone in need. It was mostly Superior and St. Regis families last year.”

Whether people donate full meals or just a side dish, every family gets a complete Thanksgiving dinner including turkey or ham, rolls, potatoes, stuffing, gravy mix, cranberries, yams, a vegetable, and a pie of their choice.

Stevens noted, “Last year, it was all me. Besides people shopping for their donations… I pick up everything, get everything ready to go and deliver it. This year I have a lot more people wanting to get involved so it won’t just be a one-woman show.”

She would like to have all donations received by Saturday, Nov. 20. Family meal boxes will be put together Nov. 21, and deliveries will take place on Nov. 22.

Stevens added, “I will be putting donation boxes at Trail West and Winki’s Diner in St. Regis, and the Hideout in DeBorgia. Winki’s Diner has offered a free soda with every donation.”

In terms of privacy and respect, Stevens promised, “I understand that some people may feel embarrassed asking for help, but I want to assure them that it is completely anonymous and the only person who knows that they have asked for a meal is me.”

If a family wants to reach out to receive a meal, they can message Meghan Stevens on Facebook or email me at dahlm2@gmail.com and they can be put on the list. Be sure to include how many people in the household.

“I also know that I had a family last year that didn’t have a working oven so they were unable to cook their turkey, so I cooked it for them and delivered it the morning of Thanksgiving. We can also arrange that if anyone else is in that situation,” shared Stevens.

For having such a big heart for helping her community, Stevens doesn’t quite have title for her Thanksgiving efforts. But she said, “I do plan on doing this every year, and this year I am going to expand it to Christmas as well. I do not have a name for it yet as this just kind of happened last year, but I’m sure we can come up with something good!”