St. Anthony's serves Thanksgiving meal to 1,000 St. Anthony's serves Thanksgiving meal to 1,000 (November 16, 2005)

** Funds, food and volunteers are needed.

St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room in Menlo Park will serve a Thanksgiving Day meal to some 1,000 men, women, and children expected to walk through the doors on Thursday, November 24, from noon to 2:30 p.m.

To provide the dinner, the dining room volunteers need help with donations of money, food and time.

St. Anthony's, the largest dining room for the needy between San Francisco and San Jose, depends on support from the community to provide meals for 560 people six days a week during the year. The nonprofit organization does not receive government funding.

"Monetary contributions are most welcome as they give us the flexibility to purchase priority supplies," said Max Torres, dining room manager.

Donations of turkeys and the trimmings, hams, cranberries, #10 canned yams and fresh vegetables for the holiday also are needed, he added.

Many volunteers will help prepare and serve the large number of meals on Thanksgiving Day. The dining room will be festively decorated by volunteers from local churches, schools and service clubs.

Donations may be brought or sent to St. Anthony's Padua Dining, 3500 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 365-9664.

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