HANCOCK – Thanksgiving is a little more than a month away, and Christmas is a month after that, but the people at Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly are already getting organized for their annual holiday dinners.

Carol Korpela, LBFE program director, said volunteers are needed for many jobs related to both the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

“We need people to help with cooking, setting up the dining rooms, clean up and in the kitchens,” she said. “One of the biggest needs is delivering meals to our elderly friends who can’t join us at the party.”

Drivers are also needed to bring the elderly friends from their homes to the dinners and back home, Korpela said. However, time is needed to do background checks on the volunteer drivers.

“We’d like them to sign up early,” she said.

Korpela said volunteers are needed to provide entertainment.

“Generally, we’re looking for musical entertainment,” she said.

Although the turkeys for both dinners will be prepared at Michigan Technological University’s kitchen, Korpela said much of the rest of the meals will be prepared at the dinner sites, and volunteers are needed at those locations.

“All of our meals are homemade,” she said.

There is a special type of volunteer needed for the holiday dinners, Korpela said.

“We are need of lead volunteers,” she said. “We will provide training for that.”

The lead volunteers will oversee the various areas of responsibility needed to put the dinners together, Korpela said.

Korpela said 70-75 turkeys are needed for the dinners, and although some will be donated by local supermarkets, anyone can donate turkeys.

Bottles of sparkling cider and gallons of apple cider are needed, as are coffee and tea. Many pounds of butter are needed. For desserts, fruit and pumpkin pies are needed.

“We like all of our desserts to be homemade,” she said.

Chicken broth and various spices are needed, also, especially poultry seasoning, nutmeg and cinnamon.

To volunteer or to donate food, Korpela said people should call Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly at 482-6944.