BERNARDSTON — While Bernardston Kiwanis Club members are hopeful their chicken pot pie dinners might return to a sit-down format, for now, the drive-thru method continues as a COVID-19 health safety precaution.
The club’s first drive-thru dinner of the year will be held Saturday, Jan. 29, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the United Church of Bernardston. Meals, which include chicken pot pie, butternut squash, cranberry sauce, a dinner roll and carrot cake, cost $12 and can be reserved by calling 413-834-5484.
“We’ll be ready for a good crop of people to come through,” said Kiwanis Club President Dan Devine, noting that the goal is to have at least 200 meals available. Attendees can also place orders for frozen pies, which are typically available at the church or from a Kiwanis Club member.
Those coming to pick up their meals are directed to enter the church parking lot via Hartwell Street. Kiwanis Club members also offer delivery to homebound residents.
“There’s always people a little older who would like to get a dinner, and we don’t want to hold back on anyone,” Devine said.
The chicken pot pie dinners, a longstanding tradition that morphed into a drive-thru format to continue amid the pandemic, and other Kiwanis Club events are always a community effort, he added.
“Every event we do, there always seems to be someone out there that we get help from,” Devine said, whether it’s the Veterans Club, the Fire Department, the Police Department, the Highway Department, the Senior Center or various other entities. “It’s hard for me to even hit ’em all on the head.”
The money raised during chicken pot pie dinners supports ongoing Kiwanis Club programs.
“Everything helps, whether it be for some kind of Christmas giving or anything,” Devine explained.
While the club typically offers four chicken pot pie dinners each year, future dates are to be determined, with Devine noting members would like to resume sit-down dinners, depending on health safety regulations this year.
“We’re thinking positive,” he said. “We’re ready to get going again.”
Reach Shelby Ashline at 413-772-0261, ext. 270 or sashline@recorder.com.