Osoyoos Baptist Church pastor Phil Johnson is urging everyone to attend the church’s annual Community Christmas Dinner on Christmas day. The event takes place at the church and begins at noon, and ugly Christmas sweaters are encouraged! (Michele Weisz photo)
By Michele Weisz
Osoyoos Times
Last year at Christmas time, a local couple had a special holiday guest.
The young couple was not very confident in putting together an entire traditional Christmas dinner, but wanted to make sure that their visiting mother would still have a tasty meal and a memorable holiday together with family.
So they brought her to the Osoyoos Baptist Church’s annual Community Christmas Dinner.
Pastor Phil Johnson said that people in the community mistakenly operate on the assumption that like most other free meals on Christmas day, and because of the church’s year-round management of the Osoyoos Food Bank, this dinner caters specifically to those in the community that are less fortunate.
That impression could not be further from the truth, he said, and the dinner is for everyone in the community, no matter what their circumstance.
“We try to make it real clear that this is not a mission dinner. This is a dinner for anybody. If we have a meal at home, it’s (just) another meal.”
People who attend the dinner range from snowbirds who are without their extended families and either do not want to prepare a lavish meal or do not have the tools at their disposal to do so, to single people who prefer to celebrate with others than by themselves.
Some are people who cannot afford a Christmas meal and Johnson recognizes them from the food bank, but some are parents of young children who want to help their family understand that there is more to Christmas than just presents – there is community.
During the run up to the holiday season, many churches and community organizations host Christmas meals but the dinner at the Osoyoos Baptist Church is one of the few that actually takes place on Christmas day. Johnson said that makes a big difference.
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He said there is an “emotional need to be with family or others on that day,” and that serving a Christmas meal on any other date is just “not Christmas dinner.”
Before the dinner, Johnson takes a few moments to remind everyone about the true meaning of Christmas. After a few carols are sung he leads the guests in saying Grace.
The meal includes turkey and ham, potatoes, apple and pumpkin pie and even tofurkey for vegan or vegetarian guests.
Johnson said that the dinner gives the community the opportunity “to be with others and celebrate the gift of God,” and he and the many volunteers try to make the event a casual, fun dinner with a family atmosphere.
Guests are encouraged to wear their ugliest Christmas sweater and a prize is awarded to the winner. Last year’s winner was a single mother whose sweater was so “over the top” that everybody was pleased that she won, Johnson said. The prize for this year’s competition has not been determined yet.
Christmas crackers are handed out and diners are encouraged to “put the silly little hats on,” Johnson said. It’s all about being fun, being casual and being informal.
Much of the food and drinks are donated by grocery stores Buy Low and AG Foods, as well as by Shopper’s Drug Mart. Johnson said that in past years the grocery stores have been “remarkable.”
After asking for their support he gives them a list of items and both Buy Low Manager Brian Fry and AG Foods Manager Derek Morgan “just look at it and go, ‘sure, no problem.’”
Johnson said that each year approximately 180 people come to the dinner, but he also gets a lot of requests from community members who say that they do not want to eat, they just want to help serve. He said he is grateful for all of the volunteers but tells them that they cannot serve if they do not eat.
Johnson encourages everyone from the community to attend. “Family, young, old, rich, poor… just come and be a part of it.”
The dinner is on Christmas day at the church, 6210 Highway 97, and starts at noon.
