By Melanie Lekocevic
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
Published: Monday, December 26, 2011 2:09 AM EST
Volunteers at the Catskill Community Center dishing up a good time on Christmas Day. Pictured (left to right) are Helene Tieger, Chloe Dubois, Michelle Dubois, Mia Dubois, Sean Dubois, Jr., Sean Dubois, Sr., Lorraine Warner, Emily Darling and Kellie Darling. Not pictured is Shane Ciancanelli. Photo by Melanie Lekocevic
CATSKILL — As we sit around the Christmas dinner table, it’s important not to forget those who might not be as fortunate, or who may be spending this holiday season alone.Volunteers at the Catskill Community Center each holiday keep those folks top-of-mind, and make sure everyone in the community has a very merry celebration when they host their Christmas dinner on Christmas Day.
“There is a real need for something like this in any community on Christmas, for people who might want to come and benefit from it,” said volunteer Lorraine Warner, who helped organize the dinner. “I like being involved in this community, and this is something that could benefit people who you might not know are out there but are in need.”
The Center has been holding the dinner for the past three years, and while this year’s turnout may have been a bit smaller than previous dinners, it was nonetheless a vital part of the holiday for many in the community.
In addition to serving a hearty Christmas dinner of turkey, baked ziti, baked potatoes, vegetables and a huge selection of dessert pastries on site, there were also about eight to ten take-out meals distributed and a couple of homebound deliveries.The event was first thought up by a pair of local business owners who wanted to find a way to help the community on the holidays.
“Originally, Art and Pat from Functional Sculpture here in Catskill wanted to do something for the community and for people who might not have anything to do on Christmas,” Center Director Kellie Darling said. “They approached me at the Center and it has taken off from there. Our numbers are a bit lower this year but we are still here for people who need it, and at the end of the day that’s what this is all about.”
A handful of families in the area graciously cooked and donated the food, with the baked ziti cooked by the Catskill after-school program. A couple of members of the Center’s board of directors donated baked goods and salad.
“This is a community effort dinner – I couldn’t pull it off myself,” Darling said with a smile.
Some made volunteering at the dinner a family event, like the Dubois family, with all three kids in tow setting up, serving food and then cleaning up when it was all done.
“We want our kids to get a giving spirit,” dad Sean Dubois said.
“The kids really enjoyed helping people and that’s what Christmas is all about – the spirit of giving,” Michelle Dubois added.
Next year, if the Center can sign up a few volunteers to deliver meals, they might consider adding home delivery to their Christmas dinner agenda.
