HANCOCK — A message to Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly volunteers Wednesday expressed its philosophy of “flowers before bread” — the idea that love, dignity and beauty are as basic as physical needs.

Thursday, volunteers delivered both to homes across the Keweenaw.

Continued high levels of COVID-19 again forced Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly to forego their annual in-person Thanksgiving dinners.

“Luckily, we’re still able to deliver meals to people who will be spending the holiday alone who wouldn’t have had a meal otherwise,” said Little Brothers program director Sarah Hoffman

More than 1,000 meals were home-delivered from Little Brothers sites in the Keweenaw, including 125 at the Church of the Resurrection in Hancock, Hoffman said. The meals are available to people 60 and older who would be alone at the holidays.

Thursday’s menu included all the classics of a homemade Thanksgiving dinner, including roasted turkey, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pie.

The same COVID restrictions will apply for the Christmas dinner. Hoffman’s looking forward to everyone being able to meet in person next year.

“That’s part of our whole mission, relieving isolation and loneliness and being friends to our elderly friends, but it’s hard to do that when we can only have a meal delivery and stay six feet away when we’re dropping off meals too,” she said.