This Christmas dinner is long-awaited for so many people at Bethesda Mission.
For Robert Savage, the Mission itself has been the light at the end of a long road. “Quite a few circumstances resulted in me losing my home, losing loved ones and they were here with open arms to receive me and help me and get my heart back to where it needed to be.”
Savage is just one of 200 people who enjoyed a traditional Christmas meal at the Mission.
50 volunteers were on hand, serving those they consider "family."
Mickenzie Snyder is one of them. "I am just so blessed and have been blessed my whole life and it's just good to see what I have and just give back."
For those that couldn't make it to the mission, a hot meal was delivered right to their doorstep.
"They're all so appreciative of what we're doing and they're just glad to see us here and we're trying to love them and they're just loving us right back," added Snyder.
"It warms the heart to know that even though it's Christmas, we thought it might just be another dinner alone but now with all these people, [they] help make it make much better," said James Vieux, a resident at Bethesda Mission's men shelter.
A sentiment shared with so many others.
"It felt wonderful. It was just a great gathering. Everybody opened their hearts, put their hearts into the serving, the meal itself. I love it here," Savage added.
