Thanksgiving Day at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Arlington begins Wednesday evening when a small group of turkey carvers gathers in the kitchen to turn 75 turkeys into more than 1,000 plates of food for the elderly, shut-ins and the homeless.

Working with organizations such as Arlington Meals on Wheels and Arlington Street Peoples Assistance Network (A-SPAN), the Knights and other volunteers identify those in need of a hot Thanksgiving Day meal. About 300 of those meals are served at the Knights of Columbus Hall, while the rest are delivered by volunteers.

Sam Starr has coordinated the Knights of Columbus Thanksgiving Dinner for the past three years. He said the Knights issue a general invitation for people who don’t have a Thanksgiving meal in the bulletins of the parishes in the jurisdiction of the Edward Douglass White Knights: St. Agnes, St. Charles, St. Ann and St. James.

Starr said transportation — in the form of a bus and 15-passenger vans — is available for those who need it.

Mike Bauer, who co-led the Thanksgiving meal for about seven years, said that the operation began with Meals on Wheels, then added senior centers and homeless shelters.

"As you get involved in things like that, you find more and more of a need," he said. "We bring a lot of seniors up. They want to get out of the house. They come to this big hall and it’s nicely decorated and it’s a big deal. For some of them, it’s a real celebration."

Nearly 100 volunteers, meanwhile, have been hard at work since early Thanksgiving morning preparing the hall, with Thanksgiving centerpieces and white table clothes. Others are involved in food preparation and delivery. Bauer said that in the past they have turned away volunteers because so many want to help that there is not enough to do.

"There’s a lot of people out there looking for something to do on Thanksgiving," he said. "They’re looking to be thankful, and their way of showing it is working."

Of the nearly 75 turkeys that were served last year, Starr said that half were donated by individual Knights and the community. These are provided fully prepared and brought to the hall on the night before Thanksgiving. The Knights of Columbus purchases the other 30-35 turkeys, which are prepared by council members.

Traditional Thanksgiving fare — mashed potatoes, salad, cranberry sauces, vegetables, pie — is prepared beginning Thursday at 4 a.m. by the "cook team." The turkey, which was sliced the night before by the "carving team," is the only part of the meal that is pre-cooked. Most of the food is ready at 9 a.m. and an "assembly team" is standing by to literally assemble plates of food. A "salad and pie team" does nothing but prepare salad and pie — usually pumpkin. Each year around October and November, the Knights of establish a Thanksgiving Day fund. The members donate cash, which is used to purchase half of the turkeys and all the fixings.

After the food has been prepared, a "transportation team" of 36 volunteers arrives to deliver meals to shut-ins. Each individual delivers about six to eight meals.

Starr said the operation begins with the Knights, but they reach out into the community, beyond the parishes, to "any citizen who wants to volunteer.

"There’s no religious overtone at all," Starr said. "The idea is, you want a meal, you have a meal. The notion is Christ accepted anybody."

Starr said the Knights have no "indication from the agencies that we work with of an influx" of people who may need dinner because of Hurricane Katrina or other factors — which is a good thing since he says the dinner can’t get any larger.

"It was definitely at one time a small operation, but we’ve seen this thing grow now," Starr said. "We’re just at capacity. There’s no more time in the day.

"As activities go, this is a little complicated," Starr said. "The incredible thing is that is does come together. The volunteers come together as volunteers with a genuine heart."

For more information on making donations of money or food call Starr at 703/241-1415.