Thanksgiving is a reminder of the importance of giving back to the community and those who gave to you.

Several hundred people enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast on Thursday in Tamaqua, thanks to the Salvation Army.The dinners were served to anyone who visited, including families, senior citizens and individuals who otherwise would be alone on the holiday. The Salvation Army also delivered more than 100 meals to shut-ins.Volunteers at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Slatington also donated their time on Thanksgiving to give to those who are in need.The church gave out free dinners to shut-ins and to any walk-ins. The meals featured turkey and all of the trimmings including green beans, sweet potatoes, homemade stuffing and dessert.Preparation for the meal starts in the beginning of November with donations of canned goods and monetary gifts. Twenty turkeys were donated to the church this year. The church also used 25 pounds of green beans, four bags of gravy and made the filling by hand. The filling includes 18 loaves of bread and 5 pounds of onions.The tradition started 15 years ago as a service to those who do not have a place to go on Thanksgiving. The volunteers now have the cooking and serving down to a science.Last year, the church gave approximately 200 meals, including take out meals.The church accepts both monetary and food donations. All monetary donations go to the Northern Lehigh Food Pantry if it is not used by the church.Food donations are used for the church meal. All leftover food is also donated to the food pantry.The church had 39 volunteers this Thanksgiving.“People come in from other communities,” said Darrel Baus, a volunteer. “They see advertisements in the paper or around their community.”The volunteers began preparing the food at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.“Our Thanksgiving meal is basically an outreach to the community,” said Baus. “We want to give back.”Correspondent Ron Gower Contributed to this story.