By HERB FOSTER
Well, Westchester’s Christmas Dinner, a nonprofit group that has been providing meals, warm clothing, gifts and entertainment to those in need on Christmas Day for more than 30 years are currently seeking volunteers to make the event successful this year — including elves.
For the past three years, COVID-19 forced the WCD to take this holiday celebration on the road, delivering food and presents directly to homes. But this year, it is returning to its roots as an in-person, locally focused event held at St. Mary’s School, Katonah. Working with the Community Center of Northern Westchester, invitations have been issued to 77 local families, for a total of 306 people.
“While the delivery system had been successful, it was important to bring back the social element of the dinner,” says Gordon MacGill, the event coordinator, a role he assumed when Ben Harvey, who ran it for over 20 years, stepped aside. “When we’re all there serving, celebrating and laughing together, I think we’re best fulfilling our mission. It’s going to be really fun.”
The event is sponsored and run entirely by local volunteers. For the attendees, all parts of the lunch, entertainment and presents are included free of charge. Volunteers do the shopping, the cooking, the decorating, and provide donations to offset miscellaneous costs. There are also many organizations that contribute to make the event successful. Heading that list is St. Mary’s itself, led by Pastor Mark Vaillancourt. Then there are a group of local restaurants, who cook the turkey breasts and the rest of the dinner. The Knights of Columbus and Toys for Tots are big contributors, as are the transportation companies that bus the attendees to St. Mary’s.
“We can’t thank everyone enough,” MacGill said. “This is a huge logistical effort, and each individual has an important role, from the people who do the shopping in advance to the cleanup crew after the event.”
Dedicated teams have been formed, each responsible for a different aspect of the event. Gavin McLaughlin of Pound Ridge, chef and owner of a successful events and catering company, will be in charge of food and beverage, while Bedford’s Heather Trotta will be overseeing approximately 300 volunteers. She is hoping a school sports team or club will pitch in for set up and cleanup jobs.
Two other Bedford residents, Isabel Murphy and Harry St. John, have an important job — they oversee gifts and clothing donations. Shopping is done based on the attendee makeup received from the Community Center, based on the number of women, men and children.
Overall, it is a big organizational challenge. The WCD crew won’t get into St. Mary’s gym until the evening of Dec. 22. All of the volunteer efforts need to come together the following two days. The food needs to be delivered and placed in special refrigerators rented for the event. The presents are taken to St. Mary’s and placed in separate rooms by type, making distribution easier. The halls need to be decorated, transportation confirmed, cooking and serving crews assigned. The list goes on.
And, of course, the elves need to be confirmed. They play an important role. Dressed for the part, each elf will be assigned to a table with the responsibility for greeting guests and delivering presents. The elves will welcome the attendees as they arrive at St. Mary’s and escort them to their tables.
Before the lunch buffet begins, there will be music, games and entertainment. Mrs. Claus emcees prior to Santa’s arrival. The meal is traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables and a wide variety of pies and other desserts. When Santa arrives after lunch, accompanied by the elves, presents will be distributed, tailored to the attendee’s interests and needs.
For more information and to volunteer, visit westchesterchristmas.org. On the front page, there is a box marked “Volunteers,” which shows job descriptions, the assistance needed and the time frame for each effort.
“We need individuals as well as groups. There are volunteer jobs both big and small. Some need to be completed well in advance of the event and some the day of,” MacGill said. “But talking to people who have volunteered in the past, they will tell you it is an extremely rewarding experience.”