Alice Hofman went to apply for a bonfire permit at New Baltimore City Hall when she saw a sign advertising a free Christmas community dinner in Richmond, about 15 miles away.
Hofman formerly resided in nearby Lenox Township, so she decided to attend the event, held in the fellowship hall of First United Church of Christ.
“I was going to be alone for Christmas, so I thought this would be nice to do,” she said.
Battling a number of physical ailments, Hofman said she was “touched” by the response by the volunteer-driven dinner.
Alice Hofman of New Baltimore said she was “really touched” by how volunteers set up the Christmas community dinner at First United Church of Christ in Richmond on Thursday. (MITCH HOTTS — THE MACOMB DAILY)
“As soon as I walked in I was greeted and found it be so welcoming,” she said, while munching on her food. “Everything is set up so festive. They have nice little touches, like these little bags of candy, bags of fresh fruit. It feels nice and warm, not like you grab some food and that’s it.”
That’s exactly why the dinner organizers keep hosting the community event. They say it was designed to give folks with nowhere else to go a destination for the holiday as well as those who enjoy the company of others on Christmas.
The Christmas Day community meal, first held in 1993, is the legacy of Diane and Glen Porrett, who had hosted a similar one in Port Huron before launching his own meal event in Richmond.
Mr. Porrett died in 2023, so his daughters — Jennifer Northam and Justine Achatz — assumed a leadership role in running the dinner.
Diners mingle in the basement of First United Church of Christ toward the end of the community dinner. (MITCH HOTTS — THE MACOMB DAILY)
“My dad started the dinner because we didn’t have anywhere to go on Christmas because our grandparents had passed and we always went to their house on Christmas Day,” Northam said. “We thought ‘what are we going to do now?’ so we started at a church in Port Huron before dad said ‘our church can do this.’”
Over the years, the sisters encountered area businesses who donated either food or gift cards to finance the low-key affair.
New Baltimore Mayor Thomas Semaan, who has donated several turkeys for past events, plays a behind-the-scenes role as a fundraiser. He said it doesn’t matter whether he’s helping the New Baltimore or Richmond communities.
“You’re serving people — that’s all that matters,” the mayor said.
Organizers said they were pleasantly surprised to have more than 100 people dine with them this year, as opposed to about 80 in previous events. Takeout meals are provided to personnel from Richmond Lenox EMS, the Richmond Police Department and the Richmond Fire Department.
Chef Dylan Allor arrived at 7:30 a.m. Thursday to prepare up a tasty menu consisting of turkey, ham, stewed cabbage, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, and more. Church members donate various desserts, including several trays of cookies and cupcakes.
The event is staffed by about two dozen volunteers who give part of their holiday to help out.
Handmade Christmas cards created by students of Katie VanSledright’s first grade class at Will L. Lee Elementary School greeted diners at their tables. (MITCH HOTTS — THE MACOMB DAILY)
The leftover food goes to event volunteers, who set up and serve the food, then clean the hall after the event as a television screen in a corner plays a Christmas fireplace DVD to set the holiday mood.
“We never know if we’re going to have enough desserts or if the volunteers will show up, but somehow it call comes together,” Achatz said. “It’s all in God’s hands.”
And diners such as Hofman said all that work is very much appreciated.
“My parents are gone, so the holidays are a little rough. So many people don’t have anyone to spend Christmas with, so this was really nice,” she said.
Mike Carlson of Lansing helps to clean up after the dinner. He returns to Richmond for the holidays and volunteers at First United Church of Christ, where his mother, Pat Fenton, is a longtime member. (MITCH HOTTS — THE MACOMB DAILY)
Dining and Cooking