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Volunteers Vern and Theresa Kuhlman put the finishing touches on the salad on Monday. “It’s great to serve the community,” Theresa Kuhlman said. “You get to know the people who come in and become a part of their lives.” (Mitch Hotz – Macomb Daily News)
Price Drew Smith stared at the sheet music in front of her as she played Christmas carols on the piano in a corner of the fellowship hall in the basement of a church more than 50 years old in northeastern Macomb County. .
Smith, the organ pianist at First United Church of Christ on South Forest Avenue, captured snippets of conversations happening around him as a free Christmas dinner was served to dozens of people Monday afternoon.
Some diners are church members, others belong to nearby Trinity Lutheran Church. Some people simply have nowhere else to go on vacation and come here, where they are welcomed, fed, and often leave with a bag of leftovers and fresh fruit.
“I think it’s great for the community,” said Smith, 55, a Port Huron resident. “It brings the good news and the light of Christmas to all of us. Everyone is welcome and that camaraderie and true friendship really brings people together.”
The annual potluck was the idea of the late Glen Porrett, who organized the event for 29 years with a group of volunteers. He died in 2021.
“Glenn continued to live through this meal,” Smith said.
Christmas dinner is a tradition that originated in Port Huron. In 1992, a pastor at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Port Huron invited a First United Church pastor, an administrative assistant and a volunteer to serve with him at the Port Huron Dinner. The Port Huron pastor then suggested that First United Church of Christ in Richmond also adopt the tradition, and Richmond area church leaders decided to host the first Christmas dinner at First United Church of Christ in 1993.
It is designed for people who have nowhere to go or who like to spend the holidays with others. The estimated number of people is about 100.
Over the course of three hours, volunteers served dinner including ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, coleslaw, and cannoli. There was also a table filled with desserts to choose from.
Organizers said diners included a wide range of ages, from young families to seniors, as well as many who return to the church year after year.
Some lucky diners received handmade Christmas cards by young artists from Jennifer Dorsey’s first-grade class at Will L. Lee Elementary School in Richmond Community Schools.
Last year’s dinner was held during a snowstorm, and attendance dropped from 120 to 80 people, which ultimately meant more takeout for diners. The church also provides free meals to police and fire personnel on duty that day.
On Monday, temperatures hovered around 50 degrees, with no sign of a blizzard or even any snow at all.
That didn’t make chef Dean Allo happy.
“Unfortunately, it was a nice day outside,” said Allor, who spent his final years in Georgia before returning to Michigan. “I miss the whole white Christmas thing. When I get older, I might just turn into a snowbird.”
Back in the corner where the piano was still playing, Price Smith was asked how long he planned to play for diners.
“I’ll keep playing until everyone leaves, but if I don’t play well, maybe they’ll all leave early,” he joked.
Sponsors of the meal include Trinity Lutheran Outreach Committee, Richmond Kroger, Achatz Pies, Giovanni’s, Ken’s Country Kitchen, Pankiewicz Cider Mill, Weeks Meat Market and Hamilton Bicycles.
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