THUNDER BAY -- The Dew Drop Inn fed more seniors and children this year and volunteers expect that trend to continue for its annual Christmas dinner.
A group of volunteers carved their way through 32 turkeys in the basement kitchen of St. Andrew's Church on Thursday in preparation for the Sunday meal as others peeled 200 pounds of potatoes in the soup kitchen on the same property.
A hundred more pounds of carrots will have to be peeled after that, plus a vat of gravy on top if they're to feed the nearly 400 people expected on Dec. 25.
"We look forward to the big events because it's like family here," said Dew Drop Inn kitchen manager Julio Chiodo.
Chiodo has noticed more gray hair in the Dew Drop's clientele this year as those over 50 years old become more prominent in Thunder Bay's food-insecure population. He said he's even seeing grandparents coming in with young children.
"After they pay their bills, hydro bills are through the roof now, and rent, everything is so high and when they're short, they come in. You can definitely know when money is short and they come in," Chido said.
"And a lot of young families. In the summertime, it wasn't unreasonable to get 30 kids in a day. When they're in school they're in school but then you have the elders, the older people the grandmas and grandpas bringing in the little ones that are not quite in school."
Don Friday began volunteering with the Dew Drop Inn Christmas dinner over two decades ago when it served a quarter of the number of people it serves today.
He served food alongside his both his father and his son over that time. He served many people who were hungry, others who were passing through town and even those were otherwise spending Christmas Day alone.
"You can't put a value on it," Friday said. "It's like everything else, you do it from your heart and that makes me feel good."
Cook Laura Hay has been a member of the Dew Drop Inn's special events turkey-carving team for three years and she has turned seasonal volunteering into a year-around commitment. .
"The one thing I've really noticed is the families, the parents that bring their kids in to help out and see how a lot of people have to live in Thunder Bay," Hay said.
"It's actually quite amazing. They do their jobs, they talk to the people that come in for dinner. You can really tell they appreciate what's happening."
The Dew Drop Inn Christmas dinner will take place between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Those wishing to volunteer can contact Kathleen at [email protected] or 632-2885.
