Happy Franksgiving
By Samantha DePriest
Photos by Oscar Camejo
It all started back in November of 2003 when Patricia Ann Griffin (Johnson) started the “Thanksgiving Plates” outreach. Mrs. Patricia’s son Frankie Johnson (or “Mr. Frankie” as we all know him around Trinity), his wife Dorothy, and the Trinity Church outreach team prepared and serve a Thanksgiving meal to members of our community. A few years back Trinity Church Pastor John Steinklauber started calling it “Franksgiving” as a light joke and it stuck. Franksgiving continues to be a blessing each November.
Over 100 volunteers met in the Gathering Place on Thanksgiving morning at 9am with their delicious dishes and desserts. A record number of volunteers showed up to help prep and deliver of hundreds of plates by 12:30pm. Volunteers dropped off food, prepared plates, and delivered meals. They came with turkey, ham, chicken, potato salad, mac & cheese, green beans, collard greens, rolls, cornbread dressing, pound cake, sweet potato pie, and pumpkin pie all made with love.
Once the meals in to go boxes were made, a team of happy helpers hand delivered them to families in the community including but not limited to; Highlands Apartments, Eastgate Apartments, Lower Fayetteville Rd mobile homes, Welcome Rd mobile homes across from Trinity Baptist Church, Wynnmead Community, Palmetto mobile homes behind Frank’s restaurant, homes in Newnan, Stay Lodge and Home Lodge extended stay motels, and homeless walking the streets.
Because of the generosity of both time and resources, this years Franksgiving was the best yet as 873 meals were served! This is the highest number ever! Frankie shares, “God gets all get glory!” What a beautiful illustration of the impact that can be made when a growing group of compassionate believers come together to reach those in need right across the street.
