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Christmas breakfast provides sense of community when it’s needed most
At a time of year when all too many people find themselves unseasonably and unceremoniously alone, New Life Baptist Church was the site of something important on Thursday: Community.
For one thing, the annual New Life Baptist Church Food Pantry Christmas Breakfast provides a sense of community to the folks who use the pantry on a weekly basis. It’s a place to share some Christmas spirit with the same folks they see each weekly, as well as bring along family members.
The annual breakfast is also a chance for community partners such as Walmart Distribution, the Greencastle Walmart store and Autumn Glen assisted living to give back to the Greencastle Community.
The breakfast started some 15 years ago, the idea of a church member and food pantry volunteer.
“It’s an annual thing that Joy Rader started 15 years ago,” Pastor Scott Kallem said. “At some point, Walmart Distribution jumped in.
“It started out as the food pantry wanting to give a special Christmas blessing and then Walmart picked up on it,” Kallem added.
That year was 2007, making Walmart a partner for most of the history of the annual party.
“It’s a community event,” organizer Kathy VanLandingham said.
On Thursday, between 15 and 20 Walmart Distribution associates, as well as the local Walmart store manager, were on hand to bring in food, cook and serve breakfast and generally do whatever was necessary to make sure that upward of 100 guests enjoyed themselves.
Russ Evans of Digital Sounds DJ (also a Walmart Distribution associate) even volunteered his time, playing holiday favorites and announcing raffle winners.
“What’s good about it is so many people are involved,” Nancy Freeman of Walmart Distribution said.
While the involvement is good in and of itself, it also has a way of paying off for the pantry in other forms.
Through the Walmart Volunteerism Always Pays Program, the associates are able to log all their volunteer hours, which can count toward a grant for the involved charity.
This last year, a grant came back to the pantry through Volunteerism Always Pays, associate Kelly Perkins explained.
“And that helps in so many ways,” VanLandingham said.
For the pantry patrons, the morning provided a break from daily life. With tables set up throughout the fellowship hall, they could enjoy the large breakfast served by Walmart as they laughed and talked with family and friends, listening to Christmas classics and waiting to see if they won the next raffle.
One little girl was overjoyed to win a play tent, while a man happily picked up a bike that was probably too small for him.
“I have to take it home for my grandson,” he said with a smile.
Like breakfast, the prizes were courtesy of Walmart.
On the way out, they also had the chance to take home some Christmas cookies courtesy of Autumn Glen.
It’s become a tradition folks look forward to throughout the year.
“The patrons start asking in October, ‘Are we going to have the Christmas breakfast?’” VanLandingham said. “They will invite friends and family to come and it’s more than just the food pantry folks. The community supports it.”
Just how much of a community it is became clear when a man hobbled into the fellowship hall and a half dozen people got up to shake his hand.
VanLandingham explained that the anticipated guest was Charlie Brann, who normally mans the bread table each week at the pantry.
However, he’s been away for a couple of months, having broken his kneecaps a couple months back.
“They have missed him,” VanLandingham said.
And why shouldn’t they? The food pantry is open each Thursday at the church at 51 Ridgeway St. on the south side of Greencastle, providing bread and pastries donated by Kroger as well as multiple other grocery items.
“We do the food pantry every week from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., serving an average of 35-40 families each week,” Kallem said.