Editorial: Elgin's community dinners go beyond a free meal

There's a lot to like about Jeff Turner's idea to expand the number of community dinners he organizes in Elgin, and that goes beyond providing another free meal for anyone who shows up.

That's because you can also think of it as another opportunity for an entire community to get to know itself better, and for individuals to give back, help out and get to know someone from a different race, religion, culture or economic background.

Turner, who owns In The Neighborhood Deli and Catering in Elgin, organized the first Elgin Community Christmas Dinner this past holiday season to go with the community dinners he's put together for several years at Thanksgiving and the Have a Heart dinners around Valentine's Day. Now, he wants to add a fourth dinner - a summertime event, likely a cookout at a park.

These community gatherings are not only to serve the homeless, but also the elderly, empty nesters and people with large families who might not necessarily be able to feed everyone at their table. Hot meals to those in need is important, but these functions can have even greater meaning as unifying events, especially in Elgin and other communities in the suburbs.

"Anybody can come (to the community dinners). You don't have to be down on your luck. I wanted to bring people together, because everybody can help each other and meet each other," Turner told our Elena Ferrarin.

Over the years, his community dinners have been held at various locations, including the Hemmens Cultural Center and First United Methodist Church. Turner raises on average about $3,000 for the events, each of which features up to 150 volunteers of all ages. The largest crowd was 1,500 on Thanksgiving a few years ago, and the smallest was about 600 for the first Christmas event.

They have featured dishes such as turkey tetrazzini, baked ham, stuffing, au gratin potatoes and more. Volunteers have described the community dinners as joyous occasions that attract people from a multitude of backgrounds.

These are events that have grown because of the hard work of Turner, and the generosity of those who have contributed money and volunteered their time. More of that will be needed to organize the summer community cook out.

We hope there is an outpouring of support for the idea in Elgin and elsewhere. It's a unique opportunity to break bread with strangers and learn about who they are, where they come from and their hopes and aspirations. That's especially important in diverse communities. Think of it as how a family connects when it sits down to eat together.

At a time when there's so much talk about racial, ethnic, religious and economic divisions facing this country, such community get-togethers can be a way to bridge the gap.