Meal

People celebrating Thanksgiving a day early enjoyed a free meal at the Salvation Army community center in Hagerstown on Wednesday. “It's what Thanksgiving's all about,” Rushon Louie said. Louie has been staying at the REACH of Washington County shelter for a few weeks since coming back to the area from South Carolina. He said he's looking forward to having his own apartment at the end of the month. Joe Rubino of Hagerstown was on the other side of the counter, helping to funnel meals out to diners who requested them - “keeping everybody happy,” as he put it. Rubino said he and his girlfriend, Stephanie Hinh of Harrisburg, Pa., wanted to do something to help the community, so they volunteered at the dinner.

Several churches and organizations in the Tri-State area are holding free community Thanksgiving dinners, including: Sunday, Nov. 20 • The Williamsport Moose Lodge will hold its third annual Thanksgiving community meal Sunday to feed area people in need. Twenty-five turkeys are being prepared. Side dishes, desserts and fruit also will be served. The meal is from noon to 5 p.m. at the lodge at 119 N. Conococheague St. in Williamsport. Wednesday, Nov. 23 • The Salvation Army will host a free Thanksgiving community meal from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at its annex at 541 George St. in Hagerstown's West End. The meal includes turkey and all the trimmings.

Linda Kline remembers how much work goes into preparing a Thanksgiving meal. “I loved doing it for the kids,” said Kline, 61. With her children grown, Kline doesn't cook the big holiday meal anymore. So she went to the Williamsport Moose Lodge's third annual community Thanksgiving meal on Sunday. “It's my birthday and I'm by myself, and I want to be around people and enjoy a nice dinner,” said Kline, who will celebrate her birthday with her family on another day and has been invited to two family Thanksgiving dinners.

I have to apologize for my picking profile of late. Don't start. I know someone out there is saying I should be apologizing for my profile, period. My shadow looks like the letter D. I've been scarce because I had been working hard for this weekend. I had been training and haven't had much time for football. I never knew how grueling it was to get ready for an event. It started innocently. I saw a flyer for this weekend's event and thought I would be a shoo-in to win. My training started lowly and worded it's way up to this point.

Special to The Herald-Mail If you grew up in Maryland, seafood as part of your diet is nothing new. Maryland is for crabs, but there are many other reasons to include seafood in your diet. Fish and seafood contain essential oils that not only provide a flavorful and concentrated source of energy, but also a significant source of essential fatty acids. What does it mean when a nutrient is considered essential?  In simple terms, essential nutrients are those that our bodies cannot produce sufficient quantities of. In order to obtain adequate levels of these nutrients, we must consume food rich sources.

Almost half of Washington County Public Schools' students in kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible for free or reduced-price meals this school year, school system officials said. As of Oct. 31, 46.8 percent of K-12 students were eligible for the discounted meal program, according to presentation documents for the enrollment report provided to the Board of Education during the Nov. 1 meeting. "It's always sobering to me to see the free and reduced meal rates continue to climb," said school board member Justin Hartings, according to an online broadcast of the meeting.

The uniting qualities of a freshly cooked breakfast are unmistakable at Hagerstown Bible Church's free Community Breakfast, held the first Saturday of each month by Pete DeBaugh, Jack Hill and a host of church volunteers. Hill, 69, and DeBaugh, 67, both of Hagerstown, partnered in a mutual desire to broaden their scope of serving God outside of their church walls with one idea in mind - to serve God through community outreach. Today, the Community Breakfast is attended by an average of 100 people, but it wasn't always this popular.

It cost about $96,000 to shelter, feed and transport eight state lawmakers representing Washington County during the last legislative session in Annapolis. All eight members of the Washington County delegation to the Maryland General Assembly were reimbursed for hotel rooms or private homes they rented, according to state guidelines. Del. Andrew A. Serafini, R-Washington, was the only local state representative not to ask for reimbursement for travel and food costs during the session, passing up potentially thousands of dollars.

The Meals on Wheels Program in Washington County is making a steady comeback after an eight-month hiatus. Susan MacDonald, executive director of the Washington County Commission on Aging Inc., said about 60 people have volunteered to deliver meals to homebound seniors after an announcement last month that the program was being reinstated. “It's going along well,” MacDonald said. “But we're still recruiting.” MacDonald said the Commission on Aging is trying to match volunteers with a route based on their availability.

In baseball, 9-year-old Michael Kade Fotta plays the hot corner. In life, he delivers hot meals. The Sharpsburg Little League third baseman joined the Meals on Wheels program in early September with his mother, Kerri, and father, Michael, to spend some quality time helping others. “When Michael goes up to the door, they have the biggest smile on their face,” Kerri Fotta said Friday as the family delivered hot lunches to the homes of 20 seniors. “He really warms their hearts.” Unlike most children his age, Michael has time to deliver food on Fridays because he is homeschooled.