MINTO – For the last nine years on Dec. 25 deputy mayor Jean Anderson and the Minto community have come together to turn an isolating day into a moment of togetherness.
Anderson’s Annual Community Christmas Dinner has been supporting those who need it the most by providing a warm, decorated hall at the Harriston Community Complex, filled with food and new friends.
“The year it started I had cancer so I couldn’t work and I usually work Christmas every year,” she explained.
The Anderson family rarely celebrated Christmas on the day because many of her family members worked in the health care industry.
Knowing this, Anderson would offer to work the cheery holiday, giving her colleagues the chance to spend the day with their families.
But the year of 2015 was different.
She had remembered a time in her nursing career when she worked with Meals on Wheels, a food delivery service who creates affordable meals for a variety of groups including seniors.
“It just broke my heart seeing these people sitting in either a little tiny apartment or a great big house … and they’ve got the table set for one,” she said.
Anderson shared the idea of creating a community dinner with her husband and six weeks before Christmas the organizing began.
“I think we had about 150 people that [first] year,” she told the Advertiser.
Now Anderson, along with many volunteers, feed about 400 people each year.
“I’m trying to get more of the community involved; finding people that would be alone because we know we’re not reaching everybody,” she explained.
Her hope is to have no one sitting at home alone on Christmas Day.
Anderson also has a meal pick-up option available for those who would rather stay home but could still use the help.
On Dec. 25 from 11:30am to 12:30pm anyone can visit the community centre and receive a packaged meal with enough food for two people.
Then the dinner will begin at 1pm for those dining in.
The classic Christmas dinner includes turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, corn and other vegetables. On many occasions Anderson reaches out to volunteers for freshly baked pies to accompany the dinner.
The free event is created from donations by community members, volunteers and the Anderson family.
“We get incredible donations from the community … we have 30 turkeys donated,” she stated.
A lot of residents opt for the pick-up option “despite our best efforts to get them down to the hall.”
“We understand that some of the people who are struggling don’t want to come, they don’t want people to know and I think that’s a real problem right now,” added Anderson.
She hopes connections between others made at the dinner will carry past into the new year, especially for the seniors.
“I have a really big piece of my heart for our senior community; our world today is not kind to seniors. They built this world,” she said. “They made this place that we live in and we enjoy so much, and they end up living by themselves, lonely, isolated and they struggle.”
She explained the isolation people feel is what bothers her the most during this time.
“I know the loneliness goes all year long, but Christmas Day seems to have more of an impact.”
Those interested in joining the Christmas fun can visit the Harriston Community Centre at 111 George St. from 1 to 3pm.
Because no one deserves to be alone during the holidays.
