Last updated on December 12, 2022
Webster Baptist Church is sponsoring it’s 17th annual community Christmas outreach dinner for those who are homebound, in financial distress, in nursing homes without family, and those in critical jobs having to work on Christmas Day.
Each year, the church reaches over 600+ people on Christmas Day, including taking gift bags to nursing home residents; baking and delivering Christmas cookies for inmates in our local detention center; delivering meals within Jackson county to the homebound; and a dine-in at the Church. Webster Baptist Church will serve dinner from 12:00 to 2:00 at Webster Baptist Church’s Fellowship hall. Dinner will include smoked turkey, ham, green beans, stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn and dessert.
The annual outreach dinner was started By Kenneth and Katherina DeRico 17 years ago in memory of Ken’s Grandparents, Albert and Jackie DeRico who always cooked meals for anyone who needed one. Often they would send Italian dishes to the local vacation bible schools to feed the children and helpers. Being retired, they had time on their hands, which would help attract more participants and the parents would not have to cook. They cooked for churches they were not members of. This instilled a sense of duty to serve those who are in need. After a week of cooking, Ken’s Grandmother was exhausted more than normal. She told her husband she would “lay down a bit more to rest”. That would be the morning she went home to be with the Lord.
Christmas was an important time in the DeRico home. Grandma always decorated the house from top to bottom and the whole family would spend Christmas together. With Grandma’s passing, the family would make every attempt to take trips down and keep old traditions alive. Grandpa would be happy not to be alone and forgotten. A few years later he also passed away. Ken, having a family of his own, felt the calling to keep the tradition of helping those in need. Why not help those who are alone on Christmas? Jackson County is full of valleys and hollers with people who are alone 365 days a year. Christmas should the one day of the year with hope and love. Instead of no special importance; another day of loneliness and isolation. Why not cook and deliver meals to those lonely folks?
The first year of the dinner, 13 meals were cooked and delivered on Christmas Day. This year it is expected to serve over 300 people. Many area businesses have been involved in making this event a success. Great Smoky Mtn. Railroad, United Christian Ministries, Squeakie Queen Cleaning Service, Great Smoky Mtn. Kettle Corn Co., Food Lion, and countless volunteers have made this event possible. There are always areas for folks who wish to volunteer or make donations. Anyone wanting to help, please contact the Church office.
If anyone wants a hot meal delivered withing Jackson County or a visit please call Webster Baptist Church 828-586-4459 to make reservations.
Event will be at:
Webster Baptist Church 1955 Webster Rd.
Sylva NC 28779.
We invite the community to participate.
Be First to Comment