GOOD HOPE — The City of Good Hope’s annual Community Thanksgiving Meal is set for Nov. 21. City officials expect to provide more than 1,000 free meals to local residents.

During Monday’s meeting of the city council, Mayor Jerry Bartlett said he has already heard from some of the city’s residents about the upcoming event.

“We’re already getting calls about what time they need to line up,” he said. 

City Councilman Greg Brown, who is in charge of community service for the council, said meals will be served at the Good Hope High School cafeteria beginning at 11 a.m. until they run out of food.

He said people who aren’t able to stay for lunch can still go through the drive-through to get a plate, and volunteers will be delivering boxed meals to the elderly and people who are unable to come to get their meals.

“You can come in and eat there or you can get it to go,” he said. “Whatever you want to do.”

Bartlett said many volunteers help make the meal possible, including city employees, Good Hope cafeteria workers and the local Boy Scout troop, and local businesses sponsor the lunch.

“It’s just an all-around community effort,” he said. “You don’t have to call anyone to beg them to come help. They just show up.”

Bartlett said everyone is invited to join the city in celebrating Thanksgiving.

“This is not just for the needy, this is for the community,” Bartlett said. “We want everybody to come.”

In other business, the council changed the date of its Dec. 24 meeting to Dec. 17. The Good Hope City Council will next meet on Nov. 26 at 6:30 p.m.