A restaurant-style meal served by volunteers awaits members of the community who will be alone for Christmas Day or who are in need of a meal at Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton.
More than 20 years, Trinity began the tradition of providing meals on Christmas Day. Trinity also provides meals for the community at noon every weekday.
“A lot of them are our noon lunch folks who are living unsheltered on the streets and they come here every day,” said Michele Edwards, who took over organizing the Christmas Day special meal in 2023. “This is where they feel comfortable and they know they’re going to get a nice, hot meal.”
Edwards, a member of Staunton City Council, has been a parishioner of Trinity since 2004. At the time, she helped when the meal was served on Christmas Eve by providing transportation for guests to Trinity. Her two young children accompanied her so that they could learn about charity and giving.
“I like tradition and I hated seeing it fall away,” Edwards said. So last year, when Christmas meal organizers were ready to pass organization to someone new, Edwards “really felt strongly about” taking over the tradition which had been a part of her children’s childhood. “It was part of their growing up and I just really wanted to see it continue.”
She also insisted the meal be served on Christmas Day, not Christmas Eve.
“I just really, really hate thinking somebody is alone on Christmas,” she said.
For the Rev. A.J. Heine, the theology behind the Christmas Day meal at Trinity resembles the gift that was the birth of Christ to “see Love manifest, embodied right in our midst and that changes the world. And, so, I hope it motivates us to go and do likewise.” The hope is that anyone touched by the meal on Christmas Day will carry the love they feel out into the world and throughout the year, not just at Christmas, just as Jesus intended.
“The need may be: they’re alone,” Heine said of Christmas Day.
The covenant that parishioners make when baptized is to seek and serve Christ, and to respect all fellow men and women. When Trinity began the Christmas meal, more than 200 guests attended so two sittings were necessary to accommodate everyone.
Heine, who has been rector of the 1746 church for four years, said all are welcome to join the meal and to join in worship services on Sundays. The episcopal church welcomes LGBTQ and ordains women as ministers of Christ.
“We’re not just a church in the community, we’re a church for the community,” Heine said.
According to Edwards, guests come to the Christmas Day meal for a lot of reasons. Not all are economically disadvantaged. Some would just otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. Food from Cisco is arranged by Trinity parishioner Kathleen Garcia.
If anyone needs transportation, Trinity can arrange transportation.
Edwards said she is planning for 100 to attend next week. Approximately 95 attended last year. She added no reason exists for anyone to be alone on Christmas Day.
“It’s silly when somebody could be with 100 people and Santa Claus walks in,” Edwards said.
Trinity Episcopal Church is at 214 W. Beverley Street, Staunton. The Christmas Day special meal will be served from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Christmas Day. Guests may enter the church grounds from the staircase on South Lewis Street and enter the Parish House and offices building through the door near the church playground.
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Rebecca Barnabi
