It was cold outside, but warm inside as the members of the Salem Presbyterian Church welcomed the community to share Christmas Lunch. This was the 41st year for the event, but the first since the dinner had to be skipped the past two years due to COVID-19.
Amy Telford is one of those who has coordinated the dinner for years.
“The fellowship dinner is for people to come who would ordinarily be alone. We start early. It’s a group effort. People make a variety of dishes. The turkey, the ham, and all the side dishes, most of them are made ahead of time, and we just need to keep them up with the exception of the mashed potatoes which are made on Christmas Day and Joe Black is at it again this year, he is the mashed potato master.”
Telford says more than 20 church members and other volunteers helped this year in addition to other church members who dropped off dishes.
Dave Black was a member of the church when the first dinner was held.
“Somebody brought it up. I don’t recall who. We discussed it for a while and voted on it and decided to go forward with it, not knowing if it was going to be successful or not. Every year it has gotten bigger and better.”
Denise Burke has been pastor at the church for the past 17 years and says there has never been a shortage of help or support.
“It gives us a wonderful chance to fulfill our admission. Not only in Salem but in the hearts of folks. Some people come from Michigan. We have folks from Omaha. It draws us together like family.”
There were an estimated 70 in attendance this year, about a normal crowd. But organizers were concerned if they’d have the same number as pre-COVID years and were uncertain what impact the extreme cold would have on attendance. Many of those who had made the dinner a yearly tradition before COVID, were back for the restart of the tradition.
