COUNTY LIFE
‘One big family:’ Nocona Thanksgiving feast a true community project
By DEBRA DUNLAP
About 13 years ago, Belinda Hendrix had an idea. That idea became a vision. She shared that vision with members of her church and they embraced it and made it a passion.
Once implemented, that passion became a Nocona tradition.
Belinda and her husband, Don, founded and became pastors of Christ Community Church in Nocona 14 years ago. Like many churches, when the holiday season came around, the congregation donated food and made up baskets to deliver to the least fortunate of the community. After having done that for two years, Belinda came up with a different plan.
“It always kind of bothered me that we were taking all the ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal to the families, instead of taking the meal itself,” recalled Belinda. “I had worked with the poor before, and I know that there are sometimes circumstances where there are not facilities to prepare the food that we take to them.”
She pondered many of these people may not have propane to heat their homes or bake a turkey, water to wash potatoes or even have anything to cook with. Hendrix said the food they deliver is worthless if that is the situation.
Her idea was to actually prepare a Thanksgiving feast and invite the community to join in, along with delivering meals to anyone who requested it. Read in your mid-week News. how this idea has evolved into a major community event with hundreds being fed.
Pictured: Folks enjoyed last year’s Thanksgiving Community Dinner. (Courtesy photo)
Don Hendrix and his wife Belinda gave life to the idea of a community Thanksgiving feast in Nocona. (Courtesy photo)
The Nocona High School cheerleaders will have a youth cheer camp for those in grades first-sixth on July 28-30 at the school.
Camp is from 10 a.m. to noon each day with participants presenting a showcase at 11 a.m. on July 30. Cost is $55 with a sibling discount of $10. Each camper receives a T-shirt.
Each participant will perform at a varsity football game with dates given at the showcase. Use the QR code at noconaisd.net/45108 to register. Those with questions can contact Becky Wilson at rebecca.wilson@noconaisd.net.
The Mind’s Eye of Nocona will entertain with music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in a concert to support scholarships for Montague County graduating seniors on July 12.
The concert will be at 5 p.m. on July 12 at the Veranda Inn Event Center in Nocona. Tickets are $20 for all table seating. Purchase six or more tickets for a reserved table.
The band invites you to brown bag your dinner and BYOB. Proceeds support scholarships for seniors from Nocona, Prairie Valley, Saint Jo, Bowie, Forestburg and Gold-Burg.
The Mind’s Eye is composed of local residents Donna Lemons, Larry G. Lemons, Carroll Fuller, Warren Young and Karen Young. To purchase tickets stop by the L.G. Lemons Art Gallery at 300 Clay or call Larry at 940-366-5782 or Donna at 940-366-6825.
Fireworks abounded at Lake Nocona during the July 4th weekend. Along with the annual Lions Club fireworks, the Rusty and Billy Henley family fireworks lit up the skies. Saint Jo Firefighters also hosted their annual fireworks event. (Photo by Trena Henley)
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