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Aztec Senior Community Center serves more than 300 Thanksgiving dinners

Connie Hutcheson, Senior Center coordinator, said many gracious people donated pies for the Thanksgiving dinner. (David Edward Albright/Tri-City Record)

Recently remodeled kitchen streamlines the preparation

The first Thanksgiving after the recent reopening of the Aztec Senior Community Center brought a nice turnout for traditional fare and celebration. It began at 11 a.m. with home deliveries and takeout.

Connie Hutcheson, Senior Center coordinator, said she started cooking at 4 a.m.and was very grateful for the help of about 20 volunteers. She said they cooked 24 turkeys, starting last week with the process of roasting, shredding and freezing.

By shortly after noon they had delivered about 200 meals, and the dining room was filled with about 75 people enjoying their holiday meal.

Charles Dobey, Aztec community services director, along with his wife, headed up the delivery team. Hutcheson said her assistant, Erica Martinez, was helping with deliveries and a big part of the effort.

Martinez said, “I feel good, I think it’s great to be able to provide for the community.”

For her, Thanksgiving means “family and friends and I’m thankful for what we have.”

Dobey said he and his wife, Brenna Dobey, did a delivery route.

“It was really cool to get out into the county and see different places, and I had no idea we delivered to as many places as we did (about 15).

He said they heard a lot of “God bless you,” as they delivered in the city’s hot/cold truck.

All the traditional favorites – turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberries – and variety of pies, including pumpkin, apple, cherry, pecan and mincemeat was served.

Hutcheson said the community generously donated 50 to 60 pies. Thanksgiving simply means “family and friends,” she said.

“Oh, we love it. We’re just thrilled that we can help people, said Hutcheson.

Margie Long, left and Doris Retherford said they love the new, much larger modernized kitchen. (David Edward Albright/Tri-City Record)

Doris Retherford, a city employee in charge of the food line, was joined by Margie Long, who said she’d been there volunteering since about 7 a.m. to make sure everything was ready.

Retherford, who also volunteers at the Frontline Mission, said, “it feels wonderful to help people, they need it … to see their face and how happy they are that somebody appreciates them.”

Frances Stokes, Retherford’s sister, was also volunteering. She said she was doing “whatever they need me to do.” The word “fulfillment” came to mind as she described the feeling of helping people on Thanksgiving.

Aztec resident Mike Confer said he comes to the senior center “semi-regularly.” For him, Thanksgiving is a time of “giving and helping.” He was joined at the table by Joe Vigil, who said the food was “good, compliments to the cooks.”

Vigil said it was a day for “giving, being with people, family, friends and saving the day for being together.”

Eunice Lansing joined the gentleman with her dog Abbie. Lansing said it would be Abbie’s last Thanksgiving, as she had cancer.

Eunice Lansing enjoys Thanksgiving dinner with her beloved dog Abbie. (David Edward Albright/Tri-City Record)

Lansing said she enjoyed the holiday event. “They always have good food here.”

Asked about the new, much larger kitchen, Torey Clark said, “I think it’s awesome.” She said the event “turned out great.”

Margie Long, who said the new kitchen helped them to be more organized. “No more running back and forth like we were before.”

Long said the senior center would also provide a dinner for the community on Christmas Day.

Jerrie Frame, who ran a travel business in Aztec for over 30 years, said she returned recently after living in Idaho for 4 years “helping her kids.”

She said, “Oh God, am I glad to be back – this is where my heart is.”

Jerrie Frame, who recently returned to Aztec, said she loves seeing “people out and about” on Thanksgiving and you can “always find something to be thankful for.” (David Edward Albright/Tri-City Record)

“And so for me, Thanksgiving is a day that I just walk around all day with this horrendous grin on my face because I love seeing people out and about and you can always find something to be thankful for,” Frame said.

Jim Long, Margie’s husband, demonstrated his giving, caring spirit by stopping to check on the Tri-City Record vehicle, which had its hood up because of a blown radiator hose.