Today is Thanksgiving and that means a big dinner. For those who need it – or who don’t wish to eat alone there are a number of free offerings in the area.
From 11 until 5 today, a meal will be offered at the Avon Park community center. In Sebring, the Salvation Army will be hosting their annual event today. That will be served up at the Salvation Army Building in Sebring for dine-in. Carry out can be obtained at the Highlands County Sports Complex from 11-2.
The Highlands Community Church on New Life Way also will be having Thanksgiving dinner – that will run from 2-5 this afternoon. In Spring Lake, the United Methodist Church there will be serving a meal and Faith Lutheran Church in Sebring will host their 10th annual Thanksgiving celebration. That will be at the church on Lakeview Drive from noon until 2pm.
Thanksgiving is the time of year for cooking conundrums. There already have had a couple. There was a kitchen fire yesterday on South Lake Verona Avenue in Avon Park. Units also responded to a smoke alarm early this morning where homeowners were getting ready for the day.
For those deep frying their bird, authorities say always use the fryer out doors and at least 18-feet from any structure, don’t do it on a deck or in the garage, never leave the fryer unattended and make certain the turkey is thawed and dried -NEVER frozen.
More than 1,300 residents of Lakeland will receive an unexpected letter in the mail about a Thanksgiving gift made by a Lakeland church.
The congregation of Access Church has paid off $1.62 million of outstanding medical debt for low-income Lakeland residents.
Ryan Jordan, the executive pastor at Access Church, said earlier this year a member brought forward the idea of addressing medical debts.
Access Church partnered with New York-based nonprofit organization RIP Medical Debt to research the past-due medical debts owed by Lakeland city residents with incomes at or below 50% of the federal poverty line. The total was more than $3 million.