The lifeblood of any church is dependent upon the young people of its congregation and to help insure its traditions and longevity, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church includes its youth in the preparations for their annual Lebanese dinner.
“They are our future,” said Rhonda Wright, the chairman for the dinner.
The 55th annual event will be held Monday at the church and those helping prepare the kibbee spanned four generations.
Kibbee is a Lebanese dish, made from beef or lamb, cracked wheat, onion and spices with hoshwee, a kibbee filling, layered between the meat mixtures.
“A layer of raw kibbe in pressed into the pan first, then a layer of hoshwee, which is a mixture of pine nuts, ground beef and onions and then another layer of raw kibbee,” Tori Thomas said.
The pans of kibbee are then brushed with butter and baked.
Tori is a fourth generation member of St. George and serves as the president of the youth group.
“Mixing the meat is a lot of fun, but I also like making the pans of kibbee,” she said.
One hundred and sixty one pans of kibbee are prepared for the fundraiser and with more than 3,000 tickets sold — preparations begin weeks in advance of the dinner.
Cabbage rolls, tabooli and green beans will also be served along with the kibbe.

Two days are solely dedicated to making the cabbage rolls, Wright said.
Lebanese sweets will also be offered for sale.
“The sweets will be sold individually, by the dozen and in sampler boxes,” Wright said, and will include baklawa, butterfingers, sambooski, mamool and grybe, which is a butter cookie.
Proceeds from the dinner support local projects including Meals on Wheels and the local food pantry and national and international relief funds for the hungry.
“The money is also used to sponsor children in Lebanon. St. George adopts children through the archdiocese,” Wright said.
St. George is one of the first Orthodox churches in the southern part of the United States and is the oldest in Mississippi.
When the Lebanese dinner fundraiser first began the food was prepared in the homes of church members and served at the B’nai B’rith Literary Club, Wright said, but after a new church was completed in the mid-1960s all the cooking was done on the premises.
Two seatings and take-out meals will be offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $11 and are available from members or at the church, 2709 Washington St.
Along with the pastries, Lebanese cookbooks will also be for sale.
“Tickets will only be sold at the door for the lunch meal, but if you call the church, tickets can be held,” Wright said.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call 601-636-2483.