Help feed hungry on Christmas

Wednesday, 25 November 2009 01:00

To the Editors:

Volunteers are needed for this year’s annual Westchester Community Christmas Day Dinner in Katonah. Three hundred needy men, women and children of all faiths from county shelters and agencies will be served a hot Christmas dinner, given warm clothing, and surprised with Christmas presents. This holiday tradition began 16 years ago on the premise that no individual in our area should be alone or hungry during Christmas. The dinner will take place on Christmas Day in the St. Mary’s School gymnasium on Valley Road in Katonah.

The Christmas dinner relies entirely on the generosity and goodwill of hundreds of volunteers throughout our region. On Christmas Day, there are four shifts for which you can volunteer: 8:30 to 12:30, set-up; 10:30 to 12:30, elves in costume (teens and adults only); 12:30 to 4:30, dinner service; and 3:30 to 6:30, cleanup. These volunteer positions fill quickly and are on a first call, first sign-on basis, so register beginning Friday by calling 923-2203.

The dinner could also use your help on the days before and after Christmas. We need drivers with SUVs or trucks to pick up food locally on Wednesday, Dec. 23, and Thursday, Dec. 24. Entire families of volunteers are needed for setup that Wednesday and on Saturday, Dec. 26, for help with inventory and cleanup. Some volunteer jobs are fun and glamorous, some are down and dirty, but all are richly rewarding.

BEN HARVEY

Katonah, Nov. 17