Giving back to the community has come naturally to members and volunteers with Piedmont Community Supporters (PCS) Inc., which has been collaborating with other groups in the Farmville community for 10 years in giving out hot Thanksgiving meals to those in need.

“Our first one was at First Baptist Church in about 2006,” said PCS member Donald Hunter, one of the organizers of the annual giveaway. “We did it there one year, then we went to the Elks Hall, but it wasn’t a central location. Then we started doing it here.”

“Here” is the Farmville Train Station, where meals were handed out on West Third Street involving many community groups, including Dynamic Divas, Virginia Smoove Rydaz MC/SC, the Farmville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the High Bridge Strutters Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Valuable Misses, Timeless Treasures and Women of Works.

According to Hunter, the High Bridge Strutters donated turkeys for the giveaway.

Before 11 a.m. last Wednesday, when the doors opened to the public to pickup food, volunteers throughout the community came to help make plates, loading them into vehicles for delivery, and organizing the operation.

“We do it because it’s the right thing to do,” said Hunter.

According to Hunter, more than 900 meals were prepared and handed out. Each plate included ham, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, yams, roll and cranberry sauce. Bottled water was also given out.

“For me, it’s to give back to a community I come from, to reach out to other people,” said Marvin Lee, president of Virginia Smoove Rydaz MC/SC. “Not being no more fortunate than them, just reaching out to help and give back.”

Lee, who has volunteered during the meal giveaways for many years, said giving back is something he and members of his organization enjoy doing.

“We try to raise funds to give back, help (with) situations in the neighborhood. We do manual labor … Whatever it takes. It’s just a good feeling to know you helped somebody,” he said.

“It means a world of gratitude to us,” said Lanay Walker, a member of the Farmville Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., who, along with her sisters, also volunteered, helping with the meal giveaways.