Several churches and businesses in Gloucester and Mathews counties will be spreading the true meaning of Thanksgiving today, opening their doors to the community to join in free food and fellowship. Most of the meals will start being offered prior to noon and continue through the early afternoon.

One of the larger community meals will be offered from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. today at Kingston Episcopal Parish House in Mathews. There, six local churches will combine their resources to feed plenty on Thanksgiving Day, a tradition that has been going on for 18 years.

Other churches participating in this meal are Antioch Baptist, Frances de Sales Roman Catholic, Macedonia Baptist, Salem United Methodist and Westville Baptist.

According to Vicki Carter, one of the original organizers of the outreach, the idea for the program came from Nancy Blackington of Kingston Parish and Dot Imbert of Francis de Sales. “They were both having their hair done at Country Cuts one day, and their ...