BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Many of us are preparing for Christmas dinner with family and friends. However, Heavens Helpers Soup Cafe is preparing a special kind of Christmas meal.
The sounds of cooking and cutting are in the air at Heavens Helpers Soup Cafe. Although they usually make soup every day, they are preparing roast beef, mashed potatoes and traditional foods for their annual Christmas dinner to feed those who don’t have a place to go.
“We have a sit-down, full-course meal, no soup…well, we’re having lobster bisque this year. We’re able to open it up to the community because there’s not many places for anybody in need to open on Christmas Day,” said Meier.
There is a lot of preparation that goes into getting the meal together. Meier says it usually takes a couple days, but the prep work is nothing new to them.
“Peeling and dicing a hundred pounds of potatoes, making lobster bisque, and lots of onions and lots of celery and carrots, and different things like that,” said Meier.
The soup cafe has been taking in donations for the dinner, and Meier says they are grateful.
“We had some donations of cream and celery, and onions yesterday and potatoes,” said Meier.
Meier says they usually have 200 people show up for Christmas dinner. He says it’s open to everyone.
“You don’t have to be homeless. You might just not have any plans and just want fellowship. Come down, everything’s free. If someone feels like they need to put something in the box, they can, but no expectations,” said Meier.
Meier says being able to serve others on Christmas is a special feeling.
“Everybody needs family and not everybody has family, so it’s a great feeling when you can be their safe place and treat them with love and respect, and just show them a nice time,” said Meier.
Meier says none of this would be possible without the 30 or so volunteers, pitching in for the Christmas dinner.
The Christmas dinner is from noon to 3:00 p.m. on Dec. 25. In addition to the dinner, Meier says they will be singing Christmas carols and giving away free presents.
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