Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Barbara Wheeler of Dodgeville delivers a home meal to Marie Ross of Hancock as part of Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly’s Thanksgiving.

HANCOCK — Marie Ross usually donates to Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly. Until this year, she hadn’t taken part in its Thanksgiving home meal delivery. But because of COVID-19 concerns, her family couldn’t travel to Hancock for the holiday as usual.

COVID-19 forced the cancellation of Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly’s traditional sitdown Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, it made home deliveries to more people than ever.

“I think it’s a very nice thing for the community,” Ross said. “We really appreciate it. I didn’t want to make a turkey for just the two of us.”

At the Copper Country Senior Meals site in Hancock, cars lined up before noon to receive about 120 meals to deliver to sites in Hancock, Dollar Bay and Quincy Hill. Across all its locations, Little Brothers delivered 1,100 meals, said Sarah Hoffman, elder services coordinator for Little Brothers in Hancock.

“We just had to make sure with COVID we do everything so cautiously and carefully,” she said. “We want to protect our vulnerable and valuable people that we always have meals with, and we didn’t want them to go without a meal this year.”

The meal included turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, a vegetable medley, beet salad, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. The seniors also received a flower and a treat basket with some candy.

Gifts were also given to Forever Friends in nursing homes who are part of Little Brothers’ friendly visiting program.

For safety, volunteers had to pass a temperature check and health screening.

Waiting in one of the cars were Bruce and Carol Ragusett. They’d volunteered before at a Little Brothers Easter dinner.

“It’s just a good thing to do,” Carol said.

“You realize there’s other people worse off than we are,” Bruce said.

Other meal sites were at Sacred Heart Church and C-L-K Schools in Calumet, Grace United Methodist Church in Houghton, Grace Lutheran Church in South Range, Doelle Senior Center in Tapiola, Holy Family Catholic Church in Ontonagon, St. Ann’s Church in Baraga and St. Christopher Church in Marquette.

Always important, the meals take on a new significance this year, Hoffman said.

“Everybody has been so isolated and trapped in their homes,” she said. “Although we can’t bring them outside of their homes, we’re at least bringing something to them. Even if it’s just a smile to brighten up their day, I think it’s so important for everybody, including our volunteers.”