Pastor Phil Johnson of Osoyoos Baptist Church says volunteers are busy preparing for the Christmas community dinner, as well as Christmas food hampers that are distributed through the Osoyoos Food Bank. (Richard McGuire file photo)
The Osoyoos Baptist Church is busy again with preparations for its annual community Christmas dinner, as well as organizing Christmas food hampers through the Osoyoos Food Bank.
The main difference this year is that food bank hampers are distributed at the church, where the food bank is now located, instead of at the old location of the Cactus Centre.
Pastor Phil Johnson said the Christmas hampers will be distributed at the end of the week before Christmas, with recipients coming to the church to pick them up.
The food hampers are intended for those who are struggling to make ends meet, while the noon Christmas dinner is for anyone in the community who wants to share Christmas with others.
Those receiving the hampers are either people already using the Osoyoos Food Bank or they’ve been registered with the Kiwanis Share the Christmas Spirit program, Johnson said.
The food bank normally plans for 100 hampers, he said, adding that it’s not a regular hamper, but contains special items for Christmas.
These can include turkey or ham, depending on preference, and they often include items like fresh fruit, Christmas cake, crackers, chocolate, stuffing and cranberry, as well as eggs for breakfast.
Families receiving a Christmas hamper are also welcome to come to the community dinner and save their hamper items for another occasion, Johnson said.
The Christmas community dinner takes place at noon on Christmas day in the basement of Osoyoos Baptist Church.
Those attending eat at long communal tables.
Johnson said last year 165 people attended, but organizers try to plan for numbers between 150 and 180.
“This will be the 14th dinner that I’ve been involved in,” he said. “I think we’ve only had one year where we were under 150. The dinner is aimed at anybody who is wanting to be in community for Christmas dinner.”
This can include snowbirds or retired people who aren’t able to be with families or younger people who can’t get to where their parents live.
“We’ve had working moms and dads who are well established and bring their kids to have a different emphasis on Christmas,” said Johnson. “Then we have the poor and homeless and everybody in between, so it’s certainly not one economic group at all. It’s just anybody who is looking for companionship on Christmas Day.”
There is no charge to attend the dinner, but there is a collection box for those who wish to donate.
The dinner includes turkey and ham followed by pie for desert.
Johnson said he especially appreciates the generosity of the two Osoyoos grocery stores, Buy-Low Foods and AG Foods, which make the dinner possible. Other businesses also contribute generously, he said.
“In terms of their support, it is just remarkable and we couldn’t do it without them or it would cost us a lot of money to do it without them,” he said. “So we appreciate their generosity in making it very possible.”
A new twist this year is that people are encouraged to bring their best ugly Christmas sweater and wear it to dinner.
“We will have a prize for the best ugly Christmas sweater,” Johnson said, adding this is the first year this has been done at the event. “We just thought that ugly Christmas sweaters are becoming quite the fashion statement, so we thought we would just throw that in.”
Preparation for the dinner starts around mid-November, Johnson said, and it involves a number of volunteers.
More volunteers are needed for the day of the event and those willing to volunteer can call the church at 250-495-6581.
In past years, Merle Hein has played a key role in organizing the dinner. Johnson said she’ll still be involved, but because she’s been away, others have stepped forward.
David and Yasmin Adamson have stepped forward this year to provide leadership, Johnson said.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
