Planning efforts are continuing for the annual "Greene County Thanksgiving Outreach" at Cedar Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Last Thanksgiving, volunteers from some 18 Greene County churches provided Thanksgiving meals to a total of 1,630 people during the Thanksgiving Day event.

The next meeting of the organizing committee will be Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. at Cedar Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church, according to coordinator Doug Cogburn.

In an e-mail message sent to participating churches on Thursday, Cogburn wrote, "The item we're in the most need of, as usual, are the gallons of mashed potatoes. We will have plenty on Thanksgiving Day but if anyone wants to know what they can volunteer to make, potatoes would be a good choice."

He noted that organizers have received reports from 10 of the 15 participating churches so far.

"On our goal of 125 dozen drinks, we have 81 dozen promised, leaving us with only 44 dozen to go," Cogburn wrote.

"On our goal of 100 sheet cakes, we have 70 promised, leaving us with only 30 cakes to go.

On our goal of 80 gallons of corn, we have 53 promised, leaving us with only 27 gallons to go. On our goal of 84 gallons of green beans, we have 54 promised, leaving us with only 30 gallons to go.

On our goal of 90 gallons of mashed potatoes, we have 26 promised, leaving us with only 64 gallons to go."

To consider all this another way, Cogburn wrote, what it would take to meet the goals would be for the five churches who are just joining us to each get volunteers for nine dozen drinks; six sheet cakes; six gallons of corn; six gallons of green beans; and as close to 12 gallons of mashed potatoes as they can get.

He also noted that if organizers collect more food than we need, "We donate the leftovers to the Tabernacle Soup Kitchen and they'll freeze it until they need it."

Cogburn added, "If we get more than they can handle, then there's another organization or two that'll be delighted to take the leftovers off our hands."