A Gift to the Community

Whenever you think about Thanksgiving, you likely think about eating too much food! Thanksgiving in the United States is the holiday where eating lots of amazing dishes and sharing what you are thankful for throughout the year comes into play. Pumpkin pie, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, and just about anything else you can imagine makes its way onto your plate. And oh my does this foster the popular New Year’s resolution of “I’m going to lose the pounds I gained at Thanksgiving!”

Being from a larger city in the States, whenever you heard of a “free” Thanksgiving meal you always would associate the venue with one of two things: Churches would offer this type of free meal to those in need and to the members of their congregations who didn’t have much to provide their family, and the second venue popular in larger cities is the various shelters and outreach programs. These programs and the folks who volunteer to run them are true saints, and they make Thanksgiving something truly special for many people who otherwise would not have anything.

In our small community of Bonners Ferry we also have an amazing tradition of sharing the blessings of food and fellowship, and it takes place at the Three Mile Cafe owned by Chuck Quillin. According to Cafe manager, Cheryl Stockdale, the free meal has been offered to locals, tourists, truckers and anyone stopping in on Thanksgiving for 26 years! The folks who work to help serve the food volunteer their time and receive the payment of a grateful smile from those enjoying the holiday fixins. The meal has always been free, and there is always more than enough food to feed anyone who comes in. Be ready for a long line, however, as people from around the area come to participate in this special event.

Speaking with one of the volunteers, John, he told me that he has been volunteering to help serve the food for the past 12 to 15 years and that he and his wife look forward to it each year. John told me, “I remember asking Chuck if he needed any help with the Thanksgiving Day meal and he (Chuck) responded, ‘You want to help?’” Well ever since that time over a decade ago this family has made this holiday one that they can help others and enjoy the company of those in the community.

I asked Cheryl if donations were accepted and she told me, “We don't ask for donations. If we get them they all go to Toys For Tots or Care ‘n Share,” she said. Cheryl has been involved with Three Mile Cafe for the past 15 year and told me that there is a lot of work that goes into the preparation for the day, but because there are so many volunteers it goes well.

I remember a couple of years ago my family and I decided to head down to the Three Mile Cafe for the famous Thanksgiving meal. WOW! When we arrived the line was all the way into the store past the cash registers. I saw many folks that we knew and we had some conversation but ended up heading home due to time constraints with my work schedule. However, the place was packed from front to back with happy people eating and sharing the blessings of Thanksgiving together.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to think about how blessed we are and all the people we are truly thankful for. Maybe next year you can make plans to join the nearly 375 people who decided to enjoy the company of their neighbors at the cafe. Who knows, maybe you can volunteer a few hours to help out? You know the saying – it is better to give than to receive. It is true and so many times when we make a conscious decision to serve, the reward we receive back is so much more than we could ever have imagined. When we help others to be blessed, we ourselves are blessed beyond measure. Thanksgiving and Christmas are wonderful times to show our true spirit, and oftentimes that comes in the form of being a volunteer.

Chuck doesn’t want a pat on the back or any accolades, but from a grateful community we collectively say “Thank you.” And for all the amazing people who work as servers, dishwashers, cooks and in preparation, we appreciate all your hard work! Chuck wants to thank everyone who frequents the cafe and store and he looks forward to seeing each and every one of you in the future.

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