VIENNA — The senior center on Ballpark Road filled with the smell of turkey and fresh bread on Nov. 20, as staff prepared their annual Thanksgiving meal, at $7 plate which drew local seniors and families looking for good food and familiar faces.

At the center of the bustle was Brandi Pendleton, the center administrator who also serves as head cook. Pendleton has only been in the position since July, yet she moved through the kitchen with the comfort of someone who already knows what the day means to the people who walk through the doors. Pendleton described the day’s menu with the same pride she takes in cooking it,

“We have turkey, homemade dressing, homemade bread, mashed potatoes and gravy, seasoned green beans, pumpkin pie, apple crisp and sweet potatoes,” she said. “I went all out. It’s my first year overseeing the holiday meal.”

When asked why she chose to step into this role, Pendleton answered simply,“Because I serve my community.”

To her, the work is about much more than preparing food. She sees the center as a lifeline for people who might otherwise spend their days alone.

“It’s good company,” Pendleton said. “It boosts everyone’s morale, knowing they have people that care for them.”

She credited her hostess, Barbara Pfoertner-Webb, who calls seniors every day to invite them to lunch or check on how they are feeling.

“We have all of our clientele’s phone numbers, and she rotates through them,” Pendleton said. “Birthday wishes, making sure that they’re feeling well, pretty much everything, it just gives people somebody to know that we’re gonna come around, we’re gonna check on them and we’re gonna make sure that they’re fed.”

Pfoertner-Webb has spent over 16 years caring and with her experience called 477 people over the span of 14 days to gain traction for this event.

“I know it’s a lot of work but when the board called and asked if I wanted to be in this position, I said yes,” Pfoertner-Webb said. “I said yes because this is a great opportunity to help people and I just want to keep giving back to the community.”

For Pendleton and other staff members, the center is more than a workplace. It acts as a gathering space where seniors can laugh, visit, share a meal or simply enjoy being out of the house.

“It gives them a safe place to be able to just kind of come and hang out instead of being stuck at home all the time,” Pendleton said.

Though she cooks a wide range of dishes, Pendleton avoids shortcuts whenever she can. When asked what her specialty is, she didn’t hesitate.

“My favorite dish is anything homemade,” she said. “I don’t like boxes or bags unless it’s a dire pinch and you’ve got to pull something out of your hat.”

While the Thanksgiving meal is only a single day on the calendar, the warmth Pendleton describes carries through every week at the Senior Center, even if the smell of turkey doesn’t.