For the ninth year in a row, the Williams Lake Salvation Army will be serving a community Christmas dinner thanks to a generous donation by City Furniture.
On Friday, Dec. 20, the business's owner Rami Pannu and her staff delivered turkeys, boxes of stove top stuffing, celery, milk, coffee, potatoes, veggies and pop.
"It feels great giving back to the community that supports us through the year," Pannu said. "We also want to provide a meal for people who might not have one and make them happy."
On Christmas Day Pannu will cook a turkey at home.
When asked for any special secret ingredients, she said she cooks it the same way - with Stove Top stuffing, augmented with some fresh celery and onions.
Salvation Army community ministries director Tamara Robinson said the dinner will take place on Monday, Dec. 23 from noon until 2 p.m.
Members of the Williams Lake RCMP and Williams Lake Fire Department will be volunteering to serve the meal.
"Times are hard. A lot of people are feeling it," Robinson said. "We had 20 per cent more families that are new to us this year than previous years."
Those are families that have never had to access the Salvation Army's Christmas services before.
"It was not unexpected, but still a bit shocking to see that many more people come forward. But, we had a really good response to the community. Our angel trees did really, really well and we had an excellent turnout for sponsors. A lot of people sponsored a family, which was wonderful."
For Christmas, the Salvation Army issues gift cards with amounts depending on the number of people in a family.
"It is easier for them and allows them that dignity piece to be able to go and purchase what they would like or Christmas. Not everybody wants to have a turkey or a ham. Some people, their tradition is to have a lasagna.
Logistically it is a lot easier too, she said, because they Salvation Army doesn't have the capacity to store 100s of turkeys.
"Giving a gift card is much, much easier for us."
Robinson said 10 of the turkeys had gone into the oven Friday morning and she'd be at the Salvation Army Saturday and Sunday cooking the rest of them.
By Christmas she will be, no doubt, weary of turkey and said she plans to cook prime rib this year.
