Nov 4, 2016 By Dave Zuchowski, For The Greene County Messenger 4 min read

WAYNESBURG — For the second year in a row, Rice Energy is helping to see that the needy have a more comfortable winter.

From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, those challenged by poverty, job loss, illness or homelessness can enjoy not only a hot meal but also take home a warm winter coat free of charge, thanks to Rice Energy’s event, “Plate of Plenty.”

The event will be held at the Waynesburg Readiness Center, at 500 EverGreene Drive in Waynesburg, and the dinner menu will include turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, green bean casserole, crescent rolls, pie and ice cream.

For those unable to drive to the site, Rice Energy has also contracted with a local bus line to secure four school buses to transport attendees to and from the event. The pick-up times and locations are as follows:

n 12:30 p.m.: Graysville/Center Township Volunteer Fire Department, at 3374 West Roy Furman Highway in Rogersville;

n 12:40 p.m.: West Greene Senior High School, at 1367 Hargus Creek Road in Waynesburg;

n 1 p.m.: First Baptist Church, at 303 West High Street in Waynesburg;

n 1:30 p..m.: Bobtown Elementary School, at 304 Grant Street in Bobtown;

n 1:45 p.m.: Mt. Morris American Legion, at 319 Mt. Morris Road in Mt. Morris;

n 2 p.m.: Jefferson-Morgan High School, at 1351 Jefferson Road in Jefferson;

n 2 p.m.: Nemacolin Volunteer Fire Department, at 441 Roosevelt Avenue in Nemacolin; and

n 2:15 p.m.: Carmichaels Volunteer Fire Department, at 420 West George Street in Carmichaels.

“Last year we had close to 450 adults and children attend the dinner and take home a similar number of coats,” said Kimberly Price, Rice Energy’s manager of external relations. “The only thing different this year is we’ve added a second event from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Washington City Mission in Washington County.”

Rice Energy employees in its Blue Crew volunteer community support program are preparing the food the morning of the event to make sure everything is as fresh and tasty as possible. The employee volunteers will also set up the dining area, serve the meal and clean up afterward.

“Rice Energy has about 450 employees and is thankful for having a very strong volunteer base,” Price said. “Prior to the event, members of our community relations staff go out to the market to purchase the food. It’s quite a spectacle to see us pushing cart after cart of food around the market.”

Last year, employees baked a portion of the pies served at the event, but this year the company is purchasing the pies from area bakeries, which are also invited to donate the dessert.

While Rice Energy pays for most of the food, the company also reaches out to area businesses to see if they’re able to donate as well.

All meals must be enjoyed on site and may not be taken home.

For the first Plate of Plenty in 2015, Rice Energy employees donated the coats, either new or little used. This year, they held a coat drive on Oct. 15 in the parking lot at the Greene Plaza. After setting up a table and tent, they were able to collect nearly 100 coats.

Organizers are still working on getting additional coats from Rice Energy business partners, and employees are also networking with friends and relatives for more.

At the event, the coats will be on display on coat racks and sorted by gender and size. Attendees will be able to shop for a coat, try it on and leave with one coat apiece. Any coats left over will be donated to the Salvation Army.

People wanting to attend the Plate of Plenty need to RSVP as soon as possible by calling 855-258-8326 or registering online at www.plateofplentygreene.eventbrite.com.

“We want to plan ahead for our level of attendance to make sure we secure the necessary resources,” Price said.

According to Price, the event went over very well last year.

“Our employees loved it, and the recipients were very grateful,” she said. “This summer, we even got some phone calls asking if we were going to repeat the event again this year.”

The Plate of Plenty is offered in Greene and Washington counties because Rice Energy operates in that area and most of its employees call those counties home.

“We’re trying to make sure we’re giving back to those in need living in our operational footprint,” Price said.