Dickinson County hospital prepares to give out free Thanksgiving meals

IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WLUC) - Kitchen staff members were hard at work Tuesday preparing meals for their annual free Thanksgiving dinner.

Marshfield Medical Center Dickinson has hosted a free thanksgiving meal for more than 20 years.

Turkey is not the only item on the menu.

“We are also doing mashed potatoes and corned-bread stuffing. There is also turkey, gravy, green beans and a roll. My favorite part is the pie, so we are also serving pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top,” said Bryan Devlin, Marshfield Medical Center Dickinson director of Food Services.

More than 380 people reserved a meal, an increase of more than 30 from a year ago. Similar to last year, this year will feature drive-by pickup and delivery.

“A lot of people don’t have a big family to go home to or can’t do it themselves anymore. This is a great way for them to still enjoy the season,” said Devlin.

Kitchen staff began preparations Monday. On Tuesday, staff cooked 30 turkeys.

“We already made about 200 meals this morning. Now, we are cutting up the rest of the turkey breasts, and we will make another 300 meals this afternoon,” said Marshfield Medical Center Dickinson Dietary Cook Dawn Hane.

Staff said an undertaking like this shows how important the hospital is to the community.

“The hospital isn’t just somewhere you go when you get injured. It is also out there for other parts of care,” Delvin said. “Care also includes eating and feeding people and the mental side. It’s important to show that someone cares about their holiday.”

The finished meals will be kept refrigerated until Wednesday, when hundreds of people will get a thanksgiving meal.

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