If you need a free meal this Thanksgiving, you’re in luck.

Standish Congregational Church and New Gloucester Bible Church will both host meals around mid-day on Thursday, Nov. 28, free and open to the public.

The Standish church, located at 25 Oak Hill Road, will hold its fourth annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner from 1-2 p.m. The event will be co-sponsored by Sebago Lake Congregational Church.

“We believe that God calls us to reach out and help, and it’s for food and fellowship,” said Cynthia Biggar, pastor of the Standish Congregational Church. “It’s for anyone who feels the need of good food, fellowship, or both on Thanksgiving Day. It’s just one of the many ways we try to serve God as a church.”

The New Gloucester Bible Church, located on 218 Lewiston Road, will host its fifth annual New Gloucester Community Thanksgiving Dinner from 12-2 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall building next door to the church.

“New Gloucester has 5,000 people,” said Pastor Dan Michaud. “We recognize that there’s a need. There are people on Thanksgiving who are by themselves, or can’t afford a Thanksgiving dinner.”

“This gives them an opportunity to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with other people of the community and have some social interaction,” Michaud said.

The American Legion Post 155, on 26 Casco Road, will host its first Free Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Dinner, in partnership with Tony’s Foodland, from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24. About 225 community members, including 40 veterans, have been invited to attend. Most of those selected were customers at Tony’s Foodland who entered a raffle by filling out the back of a receipt.

“Dave Allenson (the owner of Tony’s Foodland) made a comment that he’d supply the food if he could find somebody to prepare and put it on,” said Curtis Merrill, commander of American Legion Post 155. “We have the building and we have the facility, so we jumped on board to help the community.”

The Legion is hoping to hold the Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Dinner annually, Merrill said.

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