SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building was filled with the smell of hot food and a warm, peaceful energy Wednesday afternoon as hundreds shared a meal and each other’s company for the annual Christmas Community Dinner.
The holiday event returned to the Veterans Memorial Building for the first time in a few years after being held recently at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. The annual dinner was sponsored by local nonprofit Veterans for Peace, the Veterans Memorial Building Board of Trustees and Friends of Christmas, and was made possible with the help of numerous community volunteers such as Brian Shulman who served as the building’s greeter.
There was enough free pie donated by Beckmann’s Bakery to go around at the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building’s Christmas Community Dinner Wednesday. (Aric Sleeper – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
“I help to manage the flow of the volunteers and the guests, and answer questions,” said Shulman between greeting newcomers. “Some of the volunteers come in and aren’t sure what to do, or what the right rules are or the right thing to say to people, and the answer that I’ve discovered after doing this for many years is that there’s nothing wrong because whatever you do is fine. And for the people coming in to eat, it’s the same. There’s no right way to act or be to come in and have a meal. They come in and we are here to serve. We’re here to provide.”
Local good Samaritan Steve Pleich, who helped organize the event, said that they were prepared to serve a Christmas dinner of ham and classic sides, with vegetarian options and pies of all kinds, to about 500 community members Wednesday. The volunteers were also driving food to feed those at the National Guard Armory shelter in DeLaveaga Park
“Santa Cruz is a giving community and a generous community,” said Pleich. “We never have a problem raising money for this event. It’s all donated. And we always have more volunteers than we need and they are so generous with their time. Some people say that the political and social landscape may be darkening with the new administration, but you look around this room and you don’t see it. You see hope and compassion. You see a giving and generous community.”
Hundreds of community members shared a hot Christmas meal at the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building Wednesday. (Aric Sleeper – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Longtime volunteer with the event Lee Brokaw said that the most rewarding part of giving his time over the holiday is seeing familiar faces come back to volunteer year after year.
“One of the volunteers has brought his kids in to help since they were this tall,” said Brokaw, who held his hand about four feet from the ground. “And to watch the kids grow up as the parents show them what service to the community is all about is the part that blows my hair back.”
First-time volunteers Brandon Heiman and Nancy Schomburg of Santa Cruz were helping dish out hundreds of pieces of pie donated by Beckmann’s Old World Bakery.
“I came in the door and I was given a knife and a spatula,” said Heiman. “It just feels good to help. The people here are happy and seem relaxed. It’s good to bring joy to people.”
Schomburg added, “On a day like Christmas, if you’re not busy with family things, it’s a wonderful way to spend the day. It’s a day of giving.”
Traditional holiday tunes were provided at the dinner by musician Jimmy Kelly. His partner Carol Habercross told the Sentinel that they travel from San Leandro to entertain community members for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas community dinners in Santa Cruz each year.
The Christmas Community Dinner at the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building featured holiday music from Jimmy Kelly and a local flutist. (Aric Sleeper – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
“We come for the solidarity and to see everybody having a good meal,” said Habercross. “It’s really amazing that all these people have the opportunity to eat and listen to music and talk to each other. It’s an amazing event.”
Trevor Hutchison, an organizer for the dinner, said that his favorite part of events like the Christmas Community Dinner is providing people with an opportunity to donate their time and play an active part in their community.
“Community participation comes in all different forms,” said Hutchison. “The more participation we get in the community that’s positive, the better it is for everybody. It inspires other people and we want to foster that.”