Englewoood enjoys a community Thanksgiving

The Englewood community traditionally turns on the “Welcome” sign on Thanksgiving Day, and 2019 was no exception.

Dozens of volunteers at two churches at opposite ends of the town — Christ Lutheran Church to the north and Gulf Cove United Methodist to the southeast — served up hundreds of hot turkey dinners to anyone who wanted one — and whether they could get to the church in person or not.

The Anders family at the EndZone Sports Grille did its usual brisk business, opening its doors to offer free turkey dinners with all the trimmings and desserts for anyone in the community. They came, and so did more than a dozen volunteers who wanted to take part in the Thanksgiving spirit.

This year, another group of people gathered for a special communal meal on Thanksgiving Day. The employees of Englewood’s Taco Bell, which has been closed since a fire damaged the building on Nov. 7, joined for dinner with help from the community in the form of donated turkeys, fixings and pies. The restaurant’s employees have been shifted to restaurants in different towns, and Thursday was the first time many of them had been together in weeks.