An annual appreciation dinner for volunteers who have helped thousands throughout Beaufort County takes place at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Washington’s First Church of Christ on East 10th Street.

Kristen Lankford, an adult home care specialist with Beaufort County Department of Social Services and coordinator of a local home-delivered meals program, said dinner is for those who deliver those meals and provide other services to the elderly.

“These meals mean so much to the elderly of our community,” said Lankford, who has been organizing the annual recognition dinner in each of the past three years. DSS handles all aspects of the home-delivered meals and the congregate meals served at a site on Third Street.

“It’s a great time to get together and let people socialize and get a good, healthy meal,” she said. “And everyone has a really good time, too.”

Lankford said the home-delivered and congregate meals are supervised by a nutritionist at Beaufort County Medical Center to ensure those meals provide adequate and proper nutrition.

“We’ve got three routes in Washington, one route in Bath, one route in Belhaven and one route in the Blount’s Creek and Aurora area,” she said. “And there are over 100 people on the waiting list to get on with the program.”

To be eligible for the meals, a person must be 60 years old or older and not have anyone willing or capable of preparing him or her a meal.

“It’s basically the people that don’t have any family, who sit at their house all day because they can’t do anything, and to get a nice warm meal and to see a friendly face means the world to them,” Lankford said.

The appreciation dinner isn’t limited to just the home-delivered-meal volunteers.

“It’s also for volunteers that are active with the Caring Christian Carpenters,” Lankford said. “Lots of times when we have an elderly person who needs a ramp built onto their house, we can call them and they’ll go out and build the ramp for free.”

Lankford said more than 250 invitations were sent to the volunteers and Caring Christian Carpenters members.

Bingo is the theme of this year’s appreciation dinner, during which participants will wear visors and play bingo.

Anyone desiring to serve as a volunteer in the meals program should contact Lankford at 252-940-6063 or by email at kristen.lankford@beaufort.nc.gov.