Hundreds savor Family Mission's free Christmas meal in Warren
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
More than 1,000 people were expected to pass through the doors of the Warren Family Mission on Tod Avenue Northwest on Wednesday for the free Community Christmas Meal.
They also were able to have a takeout meal, get presents for the kids and enter a drawing to win a bicycle.
But volunteer Carrie George of North Jackson says the event is really just about “the Christmas spirit, you sharing the Christmas spirit with each other.
“It’s for the whole community. It’s not just for people down on their luck,” she said. “There’s no income requirement. You just come in and you eat.”
The mission has had the event every year for decades. It had a separate toy giveaway Saturday.
Wednesday’s event was at the mission’s new building at 155 Tod Ave. NW, which the mission bought from Tod Avenue United Methodist Church, though the church still has Sunday services there, said Cheryl Parson, public relations director.
Sarah Whisonant of Warren attended with her three children, her mother, Amy Bartholomew, and her grandmother, Susan Whisonant.
“All the people are really nice every time we come here,” Sarah said. “I have my hands full, so I couldn’t make a plate, so they helped us. They were real nice.”
Sarah said she has a traditional type of Christmas with her mother, who is giving her two older children tablet computers this year. But the mission, Trumbull County Children Services, Salvation Army and Trumbull Community Action Program provide things to make Christmas a merry one.
Sarah says this will be a better Christmas than last year because she and her kids will be together.
“Last year I didn’t have my two kids for Christmas or Thanksgiving,” she said. “This year will be better considering that ... they are not in Children Services.”
The mission gave away two of its other buildings and has consolidated most services into the Tod Avenue Northwest location, Parson said.