‘Happiness to people who need it at Christmas’

Both Christmas dinners have become annual events.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — With the holidays being touted as a time of giving and togetherness, members of two local organizations spent Christmas Day making sure everyone in the community had food to eat and someone with whom to eat it.

Dan Polivka, founder of Families Helping Families, said members of that organization came together for its annual free Christmas dinner Tuesday evening serving more than 350 members of the community. The event was held at Aulizio’s Banquet Center on U.S. Route 422.

The Youngstown Community Food Center Inc. and Gleaners Food Bank also held its 14th annual Christmas dinner with Santa at noon Christmas Day at St. Patrick’s Church Hall on Oak Hill Avenue. Both dinners were open to the general public.

Polivka, who is also a Trumbull County commissioner, said various members of the community were in the buffet line at the banquet hall between 3 and 5 p.m. Santa joined the crowd passing out stockings and gifts to children. The annual meal, he said, has been one of the areas tastiest little-known facts for years.

“We don’t really advertise it too much, but we do put out posters so the people who want to come know about it,” he said. “It’s a real blessing to bring happiness to people who need it at Christmas.”

Polivka said not everyone attending the dinner is experiencing a financial hardship. He said many come out for the company and fellowship because they no longer have family in the area or have recently lost a spouse.

“Fellowship is just as much of a need as a financial need,” Polivka said.

Polivka said his desire to hold the annual dinner began when he was helping out with the Gleaners annual dinner and felt the same type of dinner would be appreciated in the Warren area.

“There were just a lot of people in need and I was helping with the Gleaners Food Bank drive and saw the happiness and pleasure they brought. I wanted to do the same for people who might be alone at Christmas time here,” he said. “It’s just gotten so commercial, and it is nice to get that, but you also must remember [Christmas] is about Christ, his birthday and fellowship. Not everything is about gifts.”

According to Polivka, all the food was purchased and prepared by members of the Families Helping Families organization. Local businesses donated several food items and use of the hall was donated by Aulizio’s Banquet Center.

jgoodwin@vindy.com