DECATUR - An old saying warns that too many cooks spoil the broth.

But that's not the case at Decatur's soup kitchen, where dozens of volunteers collaborated to serve one of the biggest Thanksgiving dinners in town.

The first of those giving up part of their holiday Thursday showed up at the Good Samaritan Inn at 7 a.m.

"It's actually so much fun getting together and helping, we had to come back," said Joan Bricker of Argenta, who, with husband Mike, was among the earliest arrivals.

Deboning 50 cooked turkeys, each 17 to 20 pounds, was the first task at hand.

Among those getting their gloved hands greasy, separating white meat from dark, was Karen Schull of Decatur. "I have a lot to be thankful for, so I want to help give someone else a reason to be thankful," she said.

By midmorning, increasingly plentiful volunteers spilled into the dining room from the kitchen to chop salad greens and tear up bread for stuffing.

Executive Director Kathleen Taylor was at the center of it all, wherever she happened to be. A woman from Panera and a man starting to slice ham found her in the dining room explaining how she wanted the sweet potatoes prepared.

"I need four men with no gloves to bring in bread!" Taylor called before turning her gaze to the meat. "A little bit thicker," she said. "I want it to look like a ham steak."

Taylor said about 60 volunteers would have a hand in preparing and/or serving the meal Thursday, not counting those who stayed after the regular midday meal was served to help roast and freeze turkeys, up to eight at a time, for the past 10 days.

Churches represented included United Methodist churches in Argenta, Decatur and Elwin; Memorial Presbyterian Church and Mount Pleasant Church of God, in Assumption; and Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and St. John's Episcopal Church, all in Decatur.

Neil Malcom, 13, of Decatur said there was so much happening around him, he couldn't wrap rolls bound for the Oasis Day Center and keep track of it all. "It's nice how so many people have volunteered their time so other people can have Thanksgiving," he said.

After Taylor led prayer shortly before 11:30 a.m., stilling the soup kitchen for the first time all morning, a dozen volunteers stood shoulder-to-shoulder to serve the meal to about 360 people who ate at the Good Samaritan Inn on Thursday.

"I think this is fantastic," Gregory Staples of Decatur said as he waited outside. "It shows one way God is working in this world."

Theresa Churchill can be reached at tchurchill@herald-review.com or 421-7978.