CLEARFIELD – For over 25 years, the Presbyterian Church of Clearfield has ensured no one goes without a Christmas dinner.
Even a global pandemic did not stop them from completing the mission, although that year the church only offered take-out meals, according to the dinner’s co-chairperson Cindy Irwin.
This season the church is preparing over 400 meals for take-outs and deliveries on Christmas Day. An additional 200 to 250 people are expected to eat in the dining hall at 119 N. Second St., in Clearfield.
Last year’s cold weather put a damper on the festivities. The church had a beautifully-decorated hall, but the dinner was not well attended, she explained. But they still provided a lot of take-out meals.
It “takes a brigade” to arrange and successfully complete such an event, she said, and it is the result of a year-long plan.
Physical preparations start on Dec. 22 and 23, with volunteers making up little take-out bags containing a cookie and a roll. They also begin cutting up bread for stuffing.
“All together we have 30-plus people volunteering over a span of a few days,” Cindy said.
Some supply pies and cakes they make at home, while the turkeys are roasted by a special group, the students of the Culinary Arts and Food Management program at the Clearfield County Career and Technology Center.
The Clearfield Walmart Supercenter donates all the turkeys, which are then prepared by the students who cook, strip the meat from the bones, put it in bags and freeze them until time for the dinner, saving a lot of time for the other volunteers.
“This is invaluable to us,” she said.
Their teacher, Sierra Maney, uses this as a great lesson for her students and is part of the curriculum, Cindy added.
On Christmas Day, there are various shifts since not everyone is available at the same time. Early in the day, there are some people cooking, others making deliveries and later volunteers serve the food, while others handle the clean-up, toward the end of the day.
Regardless of their shift and task, “the volunteers have a good time,” Cindy said.
The church delivers to people within an eight-mile radius of downtown Clearfield.
Because of the time and plans involved with this, anyone wanting a meal delivered should call the church’s business office at 814-765-3081 by Dec. 22 at 3 p.m. to arrange it.
Take-outs are available from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. while the hall is open for people to eat from 3 p.m. to 5 pm.
The dinner includes all the traditional foods: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes/gravy, ham, green beans and cranberry sauce. For dessert, if you eat in the hall, you can choose between pie and cake.
Although some people do make small donations for their meal, it is free for everyone who wants to participate, she emphasized.
The money for the program is possible because of funds from PA Grain Processing and C. Classic Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, both in Clearfield, and the community.
Cookies are being donated by Bake Shop Bakes, Sheetz and JG Food Warehouse while the butter pats are supplied by McDonald’s.
The take-out bags were decorated for the season by pre-school students of the Clearfield Preschool Center at the Presbyterian Church and St. Francis Catholic Church.
“It’s a whole community thing and we are always humbled by so many people giving,” Cindy said.
Any leftovers are given to other charities. Last year they went to Pentz Run Youth Services Inc., a group home and shelter for high risk and disadvantaged youth in DuBois.
If you are interested in volunteering for this amazing community event, you can call the church office at 814-765-3081.
Cindy wants to thank her co-chair, Gigi Gearhart, the church staff, the pastor, the custodians and all the volunteers for working so hard on this project.
“It’s one of our big missions and we are proud of it.”
If you prefer a Christmas Eve meal, free dinners are available from the Steve Livergood Jr. Christmas Eve Dinners Foundation at the After Dark on 309 North Third St., in Clearfield.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, you can dine in there, arrange a pick-up or have it delivered to your home.
This is their 28th year providing meals on Christmas Eve. Their feast includes, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, stuffing and a roll. Call 814-765-9846 to order.
