BERNARDSTON — Not even a little rain could stop the Bernardston Kiwanis Club from pulling off its drive-thru chicken pot pie dinner on Saturday.
In light of advisories set forth by the state to limit the spread of COVID-19, the club converted its monthly dinner into a drive-thru format at the United Church of Bernardston. The idea was to allow Kiwanis Club members to comply with limitations on gatherings and heed advisories for social distancing, while also doing something nice for the community.
“It’s been pretty awesome,” Kiwanis member Brian Hervieux said of the community’s reaction to the new format, as he handed out dinners Saturday evening. “We have this dinner every month. So we said, ‘Let’s do something nice.’”
Hervieux said the club prepared 270 dinners for the event.
One by one, cars pulled up to the church to pick up their free chicken pot pie dinners — as many as they requested — which came with squash, cranberry sauce and rolls.
By 5:15 p.m., cars were queued as far back as the Interstate 91 northbound on-ramp, each waiting their turn to reach the church.
“There were already cars lined up when I got here five after four (o’clock),” said Kiwanis member Mike Swain. The supper was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
People who attended the drive-thru event picked up meals for themselves, their families or neighbors; one man asked for almost a dozen dinners to deliver to a local trailer park.
Donning face masks and gloves, Kiwanis volunteers prepared the take-away meals and passed them into cars using a pizza peel. Service was entirely contact-less.
Although drive-thrus are not technically permitted according to the town’s zoning bylaws, the club received approval from the Board of Health as well as the church’s approval to host Saturday’s drive-thru dinner.
Those who weren’t able to make it to the drive-thru had the option to call ahead and arrange delivery, so long as it was within Bernardston town borders.