BY PEGGY VIVERETTE

Special to The Pilot

Last year, the vision of Randy Henderson and Team Operation Outreach of Turning Point Worship Center in Aberdeen was to "feed 1,000 hungry people."

The team, plus 100 volunteers, cooked and delivered 1,625 turkey dinners last year to designated locations in Laurinburg, Laurel Hill, Rockingham, Raeford, Carthage and Aberdeen on Christmas Eve.

This year, the team's goal increased to a seemingly impossible 4,000.

Preparations began months in advance of the two-day event, and early Thursday morning, Dec. 22, the first group of volunteers arrived at Turning Point Worship Center to begin the task of feeding Christmas dinner to a multitude.

Early Friday morning, as the food began to come off the grills behind the church, volunteers of all ages joined in, many coming from other churches, and began filling in slots on the serving line or whatever else needed to be done. Some had heard about the project on the radio, and some "just heard about it from a friend and wanted to help."

By 1:30 pm., all the plates had been filled with chicken, turkey, green beans, corn, rice, gravy, bread and dessert, loaded into vehicles, and delivered to designated locations in Jackson Springs, Vass, Taylortown, Candor, Laurinburg, Laurel Hill, Ashley Heights, Southern Pines, Raeford and Aberdeen.

When the final count was made, 4,950 plates had been made and delivered.

Donors included L.C. Hayes, Hamlet; Pearce's Construction, Hamlet; Red & Brand, Pinehurst; Tanton Inc., Rockingham; Allen Peele Construction, Laurinburg; Richard Family Builders, Fayetteville; House of Raeford; and God Sent Angels.