This mouth-watering Thanksgiving Day meal — turkey (white and dark meat), mashed potatoes and gravy, bread stuffing balls, green bean casserole, buttered corn and rolls and slices of pumpkin, apple and pecan pie — will be handed out free to hundreds of people lining up for the distribution Thursday.

American Rescue Workers staff anticipate about 700-plus turkey dinners — or more, as in year’s past — to be handed out.

“People are really hurting and they might need more than one meal,” said Pastor Dawn Astin, executive director and business administrator with the American Rescue Workers, 643 Elmira St.

A “church with a mission” gets its turkeys from community donations from places such as Tony’s Delicatessen, the WNEP “Feed a Friend” campaign and private donations.

Luke Senior removes turkey from the bones during the Thanksgiving dinner food preparation at the American Rescue Workers in Williamsport. Senior and his wife Nancy Heilman of Lock Haven have been volunteering to help prepare the meals for over 10 years at the Williamsport charitable organization. The ARW expects to distribute over 700 meals Thanksgiving day this year. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Ever since the much-missed St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen closed its doors, the Diocese of Scranton also has kept an account to help pay for the meals in perpetuity, Astin said.

“We anticipate a greater need this Thanksgiving than last year,” said Jen Gregory, ARW head chef, who usually starts her day around 8 a.m. and is in the kitchen for eight to 10 hours.

Gregory, along with Chef Hannah Sciacca, cooked a combined 60 to 65 turkeys in preparation for the distribution.

The chefs, alongside William Gonzales and other residents, rinse and clean out every turkey, using the bones to make gravy stock.

After methodically parsing each bird, the various segments and pieces are roasted.

Nancy Heilman of Lock Haven cuts up turkey during the Thanksgiving dinner food preparation at the American Rescue Workers in Williamsport. Heilman and her husband Luke Senior of Lock Haven have been volunteering to help prepare the meals for over 10 years at the Williamsport charitable organization. The ARW expects to distribute over 700 meals Thanksgiving day this year. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

This method allows for quicker cooking because there is more surface area exposed to the heat. The rub is a mixture of apple, maple and brine blend of spices, but another blend will flavor some turkeys for those allergic to apples.

The oven is set at between 375 and 400 degrees for two to two and a half hours, depending on the size, but there was one big turkey that took three hours on its own, the chefs said.

On Monday morning, married couple Luke Senior and Nancy Heilman, of Lock Haven, were at a table deboning turkey pieces, with the skin and bones saved to make either stock, soup or gravy.

“Nothing goes to waste,” Heilman stressed.

The two have been volunteering their deboning service for over 10 years.

“We give back,” said Heilman, a retired reading teacher.

They remarked how they had no intention of being served turkey on Thanksgiving.

“We’re going to have lasagna,” Senior said.

At another table, the future Wawa “flock,” as they called themselves, were peeling potatoes to be mashed. Wawa is a convenience store under development on Maynard Street. The flock of administrators said they routinely give back to the communities where stores are located.

Overall, the American Rescue Workers anticipates having 20-plus volunteers Thanksgiving morning working at various stations to ensure the meal distribution goes smoothly. There will be workers inside and out of the building. There will be volunteers making sure all of the segments of the dinner are packaged, bagged and that there are utensils.

The meals will be taken to the baling area and then handed out to those in vehicles lined up.

The distribution has grown over the years, with the need steadily increasing, Astin pointed out.

As an example, a local senior citizen high rise placed a pre-order in for 40 of the meals.

The American Rescue Workers shelter and mission here in September celebrated its 90th anniversary.