Scarborough Community Thanksgiving provided meals curbside again this year, delivering 1,300 meals to roughly 400 vehicles. Courtesy Kelly Murphy

Scarborough Community Thanksgiving has raised the bar once more, breaking a previous meals-served record set last year.

“We provided 1,300 Thanksgiving dinners this year,” said Kelly Murphy, a board member of the nonprofit organization.

The event usually takes place in person at Wentworth School, but the pandemic forced the organization to adopt a curbside model last year that allowed them to provide 1,200 meals to those who ordered online.

Since its inception in 2016, Scarborough Community Thanksgiving has offered its meals free of charge thanks to a coalition of individuals, businesses, organizations, and the town’s fire, police, community services and public works departments.

Meanwhile, the school’s nutrition program orders the food and does all of the cooking in Wentworth’s cafeteria.

Scarborough Community Thanksgiving provided 1,300 meals this year, breaking its record of 1,200 set last year. Courtesy Kelly Murphy

“It’s crazy how they manage to get it all done. They’re amazing,” said Audra Keenan, the intergenerational programs manager for Scarborough Community Services and organization board member, in an interview with The Forecaster ahead of the event.

While traffic may be frustrating, it also illustrates just how many families the organization was able to serve this year.

“Aside from some traffic backups, the curbside delivery to over 400 vehicles was fairly smooth,” Murphy said.

There were some meals left over due to cancellations, but Scarborough Community Thanksgiving ensured that they would not go to waste.

“Those were delivered to Preble Street and unhoused members of the community,”  Murphy said. “We make every effort to ensure that this is a zero food waste event.”

While the curbside format has allowed the organization to provide more meals, organizers are looking forward to getting back to their roots of sit-down dinners in the years to come.

“We really hope to be back inside with a sit-down dinner next year,” said Murphy. “In the meantime, we’re getting very good at the curbside event.”