NATCHEZ &8212; At 11:36 a.m., the blessing was said and then the talking stopped, at least for a few minutes.

On Thanksgiving Day at the Natchez Stewpot, eating is serious business.

&8220;When they start coming through the door, it starts getting hectic in here,&8221; Stewpot Manager Johnnie Davis said.

A dozen volunteers spent

most of the morning working to make several hundred meals for local residents in need of food. A traditional Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, cake and homemade pie was on the menu Thursday.

Many meals were delivered to people who cannot leave their houses, and more were served to those eating at the Stewpot.

Among those helping out were Connie Whitley and her daughter Debra. For the Whitleys, this was the first time they volunteered.

&8220;My daughter and I came down. Usually we&8217;re out of town with family, but this year we were here so we decided to come,&8221; Whitley said. &8220;We&8217;ve helped here with organizations like 4-H and the sorority, but this is the first year we&8217;ve come on Thanksgiving. It gives you a good feeling.&8221;

And those getting meals were appreciative.

&8220;This is good food today,&8221; Charles Sanders said. &8220;This is better than the food we usually get during the week.&8221;

Volunteer Joni Levite brought her sons Jake, 9, and Mark, 5. Both are veterans of Thanksgiving Day at the Stewpot.

But the Levites had a new addition to the crew for this year, Joni&8217;s nephew Daniel Schultz.

&8220;We&8217;ve been coming for several years now, and we told Daniel about it and he asked to come down,&8221; Joni said.