This year the Annual Christmas food boxes and Christmas Day Dinner was once again a success in providing for those in need. Turlock Together, including the Salvation Army in Turlock, local churches, and community groups collected toys and food starting in October.
Food boxes are handed out a week before Christmas to those that applied through the Salvation Army in November.
Christmas Day Dinner is served to anyone that is in need or just doesn’t want to be alone on Christmas Day.
On Christmas, guests were greeted by volunteers at the door to be seated at tables decorated with holiday flowers and a Christmas card at each seating. Volunteers then got the guests plates of hot turkey and all the trimmings to serve them at their tables. To finish off the dinner each guest was served their choice of pie.
Families with kids or those that are still kids at heart lined up at a separate entrance to meet Santa Claus. A family portrait was taken and printed for each guest to take home. Each child received a gift bag with school supplies and a stuffed animal.
Read MoreThere were games and activities for the children, making the event a fun time for all.
This year dinner was prepared for 1,000 people and was made possible by over a hundred volunteers between set-up, preparation, serving, and clean-up. The below letter to the editor from the Turlock Together Christmas Dinner coordinator, Dorothy Walker, expresses their appreciation to the community:
Dear Editor,
On behalf of Turlock Together and the Turlock Salvation Army, I would like to thank all of the volunteers and donors who so generously contributed time, money, foodstuffs, drinks, linens and other materials that once again helped make this year’s free Christmas dinner such a special day for many of our community’s less fortunate and lonely.
A traditional hot turkey and dressing dinner with all of the trimmings capped a wonderful afternoon of compassion that included gifts, games and activities for children and keepsake family portraits with Santa Claus. And thanks also to the dozens of unnamed volunteers who unselfishly helped plan, organize, set up, cook, serve and clean up during this hugely successful occasion held at the Salvation Army’s facility on Lander Avenue.
This annual community-wide outpouring of devotion, caring and camaraderie is truly heartwarming this year as it has been for the preceding eleven years. While the list of those who contributed is far too long to recite here, our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation goes out to each and every one of you.
Dorothy Walker, Coordinator
Turlock Together Christmas Dinner
For more information about the Salvation Army programs or about how to get involved next year, call the Salvation Army at (209) 667-6091.
