When the White River Presbyterian Church in Auburn folded two years ago, its congregants scattered to new houses of worship.

But the spirit that bound them together at church for so many years still fans its wings and warms its hands over a small piece of the outsized heart of the former congregation.

On Thanksgiving between 11 and 1 p.m., 10 former congregants tied on aprons and grabbed utensils to serve 200 meals to people who otherwise would have had no feast.

The community supper, Spirit Fest, actually runs throughout the year, serving meals to 70 to 100 people between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at the church building, 526 12th St. SE. That’s about 4,000 meals every year.

Pyung An Presbyterian Church, which now calls the old WRPC building home, has opened its arms to the supper, said Lynne Snyder, who, with husband, Brocc, helped found the community outreach supper.

“Our church closed two years ago, and this community dinner had started probably six years ago, and in spite of the fact that the church closed, it has continued each week,” Lynn Snyder said. “The Korean Church has welcomed us in there just to continue to use the facility. And we are seeing growing numbers of volunteers.

“In spite of the difficulties that we faced as the church closed and our congregation went different directions, this dinner has continued and has brought in new and different volunteers. It’s a story of a community coming together to fill a void,” she said.

Typically people start showing up at 4:30 for coffee or tea and to shake the cold and stiff from their bones.

“We say a blessing and give out the community information we have, especially if it’s cold. The South King medical clinic comes once a month so they have a doctor and a nurse and a counselor, and they are wonderful at giving information and giving out prescriptions,” Lynn Snyder said.

“You can tell when they come that they really appreciate what they’re getting,” said Trish Jackson, another former member of WRPC. “We do what we can to give them a warm place to be and feed them. We all enjoy helping each other out. We’re like a family working together.”

Monetary support is strictly by donations, with neighbors, former members of the old congregation and others giving to keep the good stuff happening. The Auburn Food Bank helps out, too.

The WRPC closed its doors in the fall of 2009, the victim of dwindling numbers and failing financial health. The WRPC, the oldest congregation in the Seattle Presbytery, had been a part of the Auburn faith community for 142 years.

Spirit Fest itself began six years ago as something different — a Wednesday night program for church families.

“My husband and I had been donating time over at the Monday night supper and we’d been inviting people to come to dinner for probably three to four years,” Lynn Snyder said. “And then one night, 12 people came over, which was kind of surprising because it had been strictly a Wednesday night church meal, so church members wondered who these people were. So then we moved it to Thursday night, and it strictly became an outreach to the community. Now we have it every week, all year long.”

Because Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, the Christmas meal will be served on Christmas eve, Snyder said.

Lynn Snyder is a full-time teacher at Chinook Elementary School, working with high-needs kids.