For the eighth year in a row, members of the United Steelworkers Local 809 have dedicated the days leading up to Christmas to spread holiday cheer to those less fortunate.
To give folks the holiday they have hoped for, the United Steelworkers Local 809 donated hundreds of Christmas dinners to the community.
Friday, USW Local 809 spent the morning grocery shopping for all ‘fixings’ families need to make their Christmas dinner special.
That was just the start. It was handing the meals out that brought a sense of peace and unity to folks on both the giving and receiving ends.
“I almost started tearing up…it just means so much. You see people who are just appreciative and they may have just had a bad time, and you don’t know what they’re going through and how their family has struggled. To be able to touch those people and reach out to them and help them, it’s priceless,” said Kristy Hooker, financial secretary, USW Local 809.
“Christmas is about family and getting together and giving, and if we can help folks out that are a little less fortunate than we are, we love doing it,” said Jeff Hooker, president, USW Local 809.
This year, 259 Christmas dinners were handed out to families across the community. Each meal included a ham, a 10 pound bag of potatoes, green beans, stuffing, gravy and pudding.
All meals were paid for with donations from Local 809 members. The union also teamed up with Owen’s market in Warsaw to help with the costs.
