WATERLOO -- The kitchen work for Monday's Thanksgiving feast served at United Auto Workers Local 838 started in earnest Sunday morning. There was celery to sliced for stuffing and dinner rolls to be sorted.

But the special ingredient at the Mike and Leona Adams dinner is always added at the last moment, and this year was no exception. At 4:30 p.m. on the dot, organizers opened the doors to the United Auto Workers dining hall and let in more than 100 men, women and children already waiting for the free meal.

Before the night was over, 645 people would make their way through a banquet line featuring mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, and, of course, turkey. But as tasty as the meal proved to be, attendees and organizers alike said fellowship outshined the food at the 26th annual event.

"I like coming together as a whole community and just being thankful for what we have," said Shawn Craft, who attended the meal with her parents, three small children and a collection of extended relatives. "I'm just so thankful that they put it on. This way, everybody can say they have a place to go for a Thanksgiving dinner."

The meal, sponsored by UAW Local 838 retirees and Veridian Credit Union, is free to anyone. Some of the Monday's guests, like Craft, came with friends and family. Others dropped by alone, but once inside the hall, few diners ate in silence.

"For some of the people we serve -- especially the elderly -- the meal offers an opportunity to get out and socialize," said Katie Bjerke, event coordinator. "It's a time for them to talk to others and just enjoy the night."

But for other attendees, "this might be one of the only good meals they get all year," she acknowledged.

"We know there's a need, and that's why we do it," Bjerke said.

Volunteers kept the needs of both types of diners in mind while making the rounds Monday night with pumpkin pie and hot coffee. Some attendees got extra cartons of milk; others found themselves of the object of a little good natured ribbing.

On her way out the door, Cheryl Farrington stopped a pair of volunteers to extend her thanks for the meal.

"Very delicious," she said with a grin. "I'm so full now I can't breathe."

The Waterloo woman attends the Adams dinner most years. She has yet to be disappointed by the spread.

"It's always delicious," Farrington said. "And it's a lot of fun. You meet a lot of different people."

A few tables away, Judy Dubois, enjoyed her first Thanksgiving dinner at the UAW. The Waterloo woman dined with her daughter, Jennifer, and her three young grandchildren.

"I can't believe the amount of work they put into this," Dubois said, as she guided a forkful of mashed potatoes into the mouth of her 18-month grandson Keaton. "That's something to be thankful for."

The Adamses, now deceased, organized the annual dinner in 1983 when many in the community were laid off from their jobs. Mike Adams was a 36-year John Deere employee, Local 838 steward and active with the retirees' group. He also was a board member at Veridian, then the John Deere Community Credit Union.

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.