As we bid farewell to 2023 and the passing of another wonderful holiday season, I reflect on the nine years that I have organized Creemore’s Community Christmas Dinner. This dinner was the 22nd run entirely from local community donations, contributions and by volunteers.
I have been lucky to have the most devoted of Elves with me the entire way, Jim H., his Helper Elves in the kitchen, Neil R., Steve L. Honestly, the dinner as it is would not happen without them.
That being said, most of the dinner’s attendees (and many who do not attend) volunteer or donate in some way. This is truly an event from “croí mór,” the big heart.
I watch as people come and go and often come again as the years progress. The Christmas dinner has grown beyond it’s original mandate and now also appeals to parents whose children are away, grandparents whose family dinners are on another day, people new to town, or families who want a taste of community.
It is sad when I realize there are those who are gone, whose situations have changed and will not be back, and I remember fondly their smiling and often holiday hat topped faces. In the truest sense, c’est la vie.
On Christmas Day, the Legion Hall looked fantastic, having been shifted into a smaller, cozier display after Breakfast with Santa, with lights all a twinkle.
Annette C. put her new gingerbread house on show complete with filigreed balconies, tiled floors and grand piano in the sunroom. So creative and edible!
The table of nutcrackers was magical, bestowing instant Christmas wherever they go. As well, an 8’ inflatable nutcracker was an overt highlight.
The dinner hosted 49 attendees and 41 take-outs for a total of 90 dinners. The total number is slightly lower than previous years, chalked up to several cancellations due to colds and good driving conditions. The almost green Christmas (with only a wee bit of snow) made travelling to distant festivities happily feasible.
Thanks to Jim, the meal was a delicious traditional turkey dinner with an array of fantastic desserts. Food from Foodland, The 100 Mile Store, The Old Mill House Pub (providing a flat of sticky toffee pudding in addition to their double chocolate brownies for an extra treat) was enjoyed with a variety of beverages including vanilla hazelnut decaf coffee from The Creemore Coffee Company.
Our goal remains the same: to ensure everyone has a little bit of Christmas so to that end, extra meals were frozen and delivered to Creemore’s food bank, along with the non-perishable food items we collected. We also purchased gifts for 11 Creedan Valley residents without family.
After dinner, keen volunteers wrapped everything up, using the opportunity to socialize a bit longer and taking the pressure off Boxing Day clean-up. It is always nostalgic to watch everything go back in the box, tucking away the colours, sparkles, trees and toys for the following year. Let the new year begin!
–Donna Baylis is the coordinator of the Creemore Community Christmas Dinner.
Christopher Stephens photo