Courtesy photos
Submitted
The 10th annual Community Christmas Dinner will be held on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, at the Hays VFW. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The dinner and venue are both donated by the VFW, and the Christmas meal is available to the community at no cost.
“Ten years ago, the Community Christmas Dinner began with the vision to bring the community of Hays together to eat a Christmas meal, and to return to the true reason for the season — celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The season of Christmas can quickly become a time of losing focus of why it is truly celebrated, overshadowed by the busyness of the holiday season. The Community Christmas Dinner offers a time to refocus on the birth of Christ, and it is a means to walk out the love of Christ,” the group said in a news release. “The Community Christmas Dinner offers opportunities for the community members of Hays to serve others by volunteering at the dinner, as well as for people to be served by the provision of a Christmas meal and a loving, peaceful environment. As 1 Corinthians 13:8 states, ‘Love never fails,’ and the Community Christmas Dinner is a lasting example of this love. It stands upon this Word now, as it has since 2008 when the dinner first began at the Kansas National Guard Armory. The first meal was prepared and served in roasters donated by community members, and approximately 100 people were served at the first meal, including volunteers. The following year, the dinner was served at the VFW, where it has been hosted since. Over time, the number of people served has increased, as well as the number of volunteers. The VFW has donated the venue and the meal, and the men of the VFW have donated their time in preparing and serving the meal. The Community Christmas Dinner has been a collaborative event with a lasting impact, with the focus on celebrating Christ during this season.”
For those wishing to volunteer, volunteer opportunities will be available on Christmas Day prior to the meal, during the meal, and after in decorating and cleaning the VFW Hall. Volunteer opportunities can include directing traffic, greeting community members, filling and providing drinks, assisting with carrying plates, clearing tables, delivering meals, washing dishes, cleaning after the event, and other miscellaneous tasks that arise. Desserts for the meal are also provided by community members, and these remain needed at this time.
For any community members wanting meal delivery, wishing to volunteer or wishing to provide desserts, contact the Community Christmas Dinner using the following information:
785-625-5528 (through Dec. 19)
785-259-9735 (Dec. 20 through Dec. 24)
email: [email protected]