Just like Santa Claus, Hot Meals USA will again offer free Christmas dinners to the public on Christmas Day.
The dinners can be picked up curbside from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 25 at Mom & Dad’s Bar-B-Q and Catering at 222 W. 42nd St. No reservations are necessary.
Meals will include turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, roll and cake.
Dinners will be delivered to anyone who calls before 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22. The Kearney Jubilee Center is taking those calls at 308-234-3880. Delivery requests cannot be accepted after that.
On Christmas Day 2022, Aubree and Carlyn Cochran, granddaughters of Hot Meals USA founder and president Dick Cochran, prepare take-out Christmas dinners. Helping are Paul Muegerl, back left, and state Sen. John Lowe.
COURTESY LORI POTTER
The dinners are free, but donations are always appreciated, either now or when dinners are picked up. For more information, visit hotmealsusa.org or call 308-440-7836.
Hot Meals will also deliver free meals to first responders, medical employees, nursing home employees and others who will be working Christmas Day.
People are also reading…
More than 86 volunteers of all ages will be needed to help prepare the dinners, deliver them and clean up.
On Christmas Eve, volunteer time slots are 1-4 p.m. or 2-5 p.m.
On Christmas Day, volunteer time slots are 8-10 a.m., from 9:30 a.m. to noon, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon-3 p.m. Sign up at hotmealsusa.org or call 308-440-7836.
More than 2,500 meals were carried out or delivered at last year’s Christmas Day event. Hot Meals USA has been offering free Christmas dinners in Kearney since 2020, continuing a tradition that was started in 1972 by the First United Methodist Church.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.