Church serves free Christmas Day dinner
It took 20 turkeys and 15 hams, but First United Methodist Church in Butler made sure Christmas dinner was done right.
For the third year running, the church opened its doors Wednesday afternoon to the masses for a free, communal Christmas meal. The feast took more than 100 volunteers to put on, and its lead organizers, Chance and Ray Christy, said they considered it a huge success.
“This is about fellowship and being together,” Chance Christy said. “We want everyone to feel welcome.”
Volunteers dealt out the meat and potatoes by three methods. In the morning, a team of delivery drivers made the rounds dropping off food for people around the county who needed the help — even delivering as far away from Butler as Saxonburg.
From there, doors opened for a dine-in meal at noon and the kitchen started serving takeout orders through the back.
The deliveries hit the biggest numbers, with volunteers dropping off 289 meals. The church also served 125 community members who attended the event, plus prepared about 100 takeout orders.
Those dining-in created a festive atmosphere. Everyone sat at round tables, often with strangers. Christmas music played through the room, diners licked plates clean and conversations filled the air.
“We try to make it about having somebody to be with on Christmas Day,” Chance Christy said.As Kevin Hepler finished his plate, he said that's exactly why he attended.Hepler sat down at a table with people he didn't know and started making friends.“I live by myself, and most of my family is down in Florida,” Hepler said.Preparations for the feast began Monday. Ray Christy said volunteers started cooking turkeys that day, then a group of four gathered with knives Tuesday evening and methodically carved all 20 of the birds.The food used to put on the meal came from a blend of congregation donations and neighboring churches and community groups.The yearly meal was born out of the Christy couple's family. They have eight children and eight grandchildren, and a few years ago nearly all had finally flown the coop.The parents asked their remaining kids if they'd rather do a big Christmas, or a January vacation. The kids chose vacation, and that opened the couple up for Christmas.
Ray Christy is the kitchen manager for the church. He suggested the meal, and then the event snowballed from there.“As soon as I said we would do it, I knew I'd have to take the lead on it,” Ray Christy said.Three years later, and he spent Wednesday directing a kitchen that served up 16 gallons of gravy and 28 pies.Carole Goldinger, a member of the church, helped work the pie station.Goldinger said the day's work was satisfying. She's done similar volunteer work in the past, but this was her first year helping at the meal.She marveled at how many of their volunteers weren't associated with the church. Chance Christy said about 15 to 20 weren't church members.“We had people come with their families and say 'Can I work?'” Goldinger said.The true value of the dinner, Goldinger points out, wasn't in providing food.“It's good company,” she said. “This is a special day.”
