Celebrate Thanksgiving Early at Community Dinner in Farmington Hills

An idea that sprang from a Farmington Hills company's involvement with the City of Farmington Hills Special Services Dept. will come to life Nov. 13, in a Community Thanksgiving Feast, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., at the Costick Center, open to residents of Farmington and Farmington Hills. 

Craig Harju, global real estate manager for PKC Group, said the company was strongly invested in community involvement when it was part of Alcoa, and that commitment has carried forward. PKC Group designs, develops and produces wiring systems, components and electronics for vehicles. 

"We divested from Alcoa three years ago," he said, "but we wanted to continue to provide some kind of support to the community." 

Employees have assisted with the city's after school youth program and packing holiday meals for families in need, but wanted to do something more this year, Harju said. 

Youth and Family Services director Todd Lipa and PKC Group program manager Sebastian Leung concocted the idea of a community-wide dinner. While there's no charge for the meal, donation envelopes will be available, and proceeds will benefit the after school program, outreach to senior citizens and Neighborhood House, which provides food and support services to local families in need. 

Gordon Food Service is providing cases of turkey breast, stuffing and sweet potatoes. Kitty Ostach, youth program coordinator, said volunteers from the Xemplar Club, Farmington Rotary and Mayors Youth Council will help serve. 

"It's about giving thanks for what we have and what we can do for the community," Ostach said. "It's wonderful for families to share a meal." 

Christine Johnston, who runs the Costick Center kitchen, said the event also puts that facility in the spotlight. "There's a lot the Costick Center offers that people don't know to take advantage of," she said. 

There's also the hope that the event helps those who may not be able to afford a traditional Thanksgiving feast. 

"We know some of our seniors won't have a meal any other way," Senior Adult Supervisor Marsha Koet said. 

Attendance will be limited to 500 people, on a first-come, first-served basis. There's no need to RSVP, and there will be no carry-outs. 

Correction: The time of the event was inadvertently omitted in the original version of this story.