For many, the holidays are for spending time with family and friends. But for some, that may not be the reality.
At St. Gerard Catholic Church in Lansing, MI, their mission is to ensure your plates and spirits are full this season.
Since 1987, the church has provided community dinners during the holiday seasons. A service that started with 10 people has now expanded into providing over 450 meals to the Greater Lansing area.
Micheal Hudson, the Community Dinner Coordinator, is a veteran member of the church and plays a major role in these dinners. He humbly calls himself a volunteer but can be credited, alongside his brother-in-law, with the creation of these services.
“They go out and bring guests into the church halls, and they serve sit-down family-style. … [They have] real dishes, silverware, candles and linen, tablecloths and everything,” Hudson said.
The meals consist of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, a roll, a side salad and water.
When COVID-19 struck in 2020, in-person dinners were no longer an option. The church, wanting to keep the tradition alive, began delivering meals to various residences.
Hudson said the original goal for this program was to provide comfort for the elderly who were home alone during the holidays. The dinners now reach not only retirement homes but those in shelters and the homeless.
Sean Gehle, a longtime volunteer, is a part of the social ministry commission that helps put this together. He shared that on the day of the event, it takes teamwork to distribute the meals.
“The caterers [put] the food together [and put] them into bags. We [take] them out to the cars that are lined up … [and] explain to the drivers [who and where these deliveries will be distributed to],” Gehle said. “We encourage [calling] ahead of time and let them know that they’re coming. … Then we send the driver on their way to deliver the meal[s].”
The two volunteers said their goal was to not waste any meals. They are told if they see someone on the street who is in need, give them one.
According to the church, the community aspect is missed, but the delivery services have allowed them to reach more people. This Thanksgiving, they hit a new record of distributing around 500 meals.
Both Hudson and Gehle shared that neither a pandemic nor a change in leadership will stop their efforts. They don’t plan on ceasing their services anytime soon.
“We’ve had three different pastors come in, and they just keep [it] going,” Hudson said. “I’m 77… I’m gonna get to this point, I’ll know that it’s time to step aside. [So], we are grooming … [the next generation of] volunteers to slide in.”
You do not have to be a member of St. Gerard or the Catholic faith to participate. If you are interested, you can visit their website and find opportunities to sign-up.
“That would be sinful if they had to qualify to come and volunteer or … to come and get a meal,” Hudson said. “We learn so much from them, and they give us so much more than we give them.”
St. Gerard Church’s primary goal is to create a home for all during the holiday season.
”[The Holiday’s are] not all about getting gifts … [we are] really trying to instill in our kids the meaning of service,” Gehle said. “[This is] an opportunity for them to help and serve … a population that [doesn’t] have anywhere else to go on Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter.”
Sources:
Micheal P. Hudson: Community Dinner Coordinator, Volunteer
Sean D Gehle: Volunteer, social ministry commission
Website/secondary source: https://stgerard.org/community-dinners