Holiday Dinner A Tradition

Church In Third Decade Of Serving Christmas Meal

Ed Grames, left, serves a traditional Christmas dinner to John J.C. Colbert on Tuesday at Central United Methodist in Rogers.
Ed Grames, left, serves a traditional Christmas dinner to John J.C. Colbert on Tuesday at Central United Methodist in Rogers.

— It looked like Christmas, and smelled like it, too, inside the festive dining hall at Central United Methodist Church in Rogers.

For the 37th year, volunteers prepared a traditional holiday dinner on Christmas Day for anyone who walked through the church doors.

Some who couldn’t had dinners delivered free, just for the asking. Anyone who called the church and requested a meal got one, said Karen Brown, coordinator of the annual Christmas dinner.

Brown expected the event’s army of volunteers would serve about 450 people, maybe more.

Some 200 to-go meals went out the door the first 30 minutes of the event, said Grace Grame, an organizer and volunteer.

The dinner started at 11 a.m. on Christmas and ran into the afternoon.

The aroma of roast turkey and ham filled the hall. Dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce were on the menu. A table packed end to end with desserts was set up at the other end of the hall.

Brown said 25 church members baked turkeys and others pitched in to prepare the vegetables and desserts. Santa hats and reindeer antlers were in fashion at the dinner. Some members donated food, Brown said. Others gave money to purchase the menu items.

“It’s a way to give back to the community,” she said, “especially when economic times are hard for so many people.”

Mary Moore of Lowell enjoyed Christmas dinner at the church as she has for six consecutive years. Moore lingered long after dessert to chat with fellow diners.

She remembers a time when she wouldn’t have had a Christmas dinner if the church didn’t serve one.

“I was in bad health and alone. I couldn’t work. There was no way I could afford a Christmas dinner like this,” Moore said.

Life is better for her now. Moore’s health has improved and she’s employed. Now she comes to Christmas dinner simply to enjoy the food and friendship.

“If you’re new in town or just want to come and have a nice dinner and talk to people, this is the place to be,” Moore said. “The food is wonderful.”

Diners filed through a serving line, then took seats at tables set with Christmas-style centerpieces.

No paper plates here. Porcelain dinnerware and silverware, with elegant coffee cups, saucers and drinking glasses, made dining even finer.

Or, patrons could take a dinner in a to-go box.

Volunteers, including Rogers Mayor Greg Hines, kept glasses filled with ice water, tea and coffee.

Raigon Copeland carried a carafe of hot coffee from table to table. This was her third year to volunteer.

Copeland celebrates Christmas with her family on Christmas Eve so she’s available to help at the dinner on Christmas morning.

“It makes me feel like I’m doing something to help someone else. I wouldn’t categorize it any other way,” she said.

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