Fayette County organizations, individuals embrace the spirit of giving
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Connellsville Area High School鈥檚 girls basketball team members helped deliver meals during Connellsville Area Community Ministries鈥� Christmas dinner on Dec. 17 at the Connellsville Senior Center.
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Eddy Stephenson of the Connellsville Area High School Chamber Ensemble sings during Connellsville Area Community Ministries鈥� Christmas dinner on Dec. 17 at the Connellsville Senior Center.
Connellsville Area High School鈥檚 boys basketball team members enjoy their dinners after they and the girls basketball team pitched in delivering meals during Connellsville Area Community Ministries鈥� Christmas dinner on Dec. 17 at the Connellsville Senior Center.
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Santa was on hand at Connellsville Area Community Ministries鈥� community Christmas dinner on Dec. 17 at the Connellsville Senior Center.
Tis the season for giving.
On Saturday, Connellsville Area Community Ministries (CACM), hosted a community Christmas dinner at the Connellsville Senior Center. CACM Development Coordinator Mary Sampey said the event has been years in the making.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been wanting to have a Christmas dinner for a long time, but it was kind of one of those things where it was like, 鈥榠f we ever have the money,'鈥� Sampey said.
She said the dinner has been an unfulfilled dream over the past four years, while the organization has been raising money via its annual Heart to Hope telethon. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, she noted, Connellsville Area Community Ministries started providing daily summer meals for school children and decided it was time to begin reaching for some of its other goals.
鈥淲e thought we really need to step out in faith and do some extra stuff,鈥� she said.
Last year, CACM teamed with Sparks Catering to provide home-delivered meals, but this year, with people once more gathering in person, the organization decided to make its dream of a sit-down community dinner a reality.
鈥淲e really wanted to do something bigger,鈥� Sampey said. 鈥淭his is kind of our way of thanking the city, number one, for giving so much to us, and number two, for people to see where their money goes when they donate to the Heart to Hope telethon, that their money is going back into the community.鈥�
The dinner included 800 sit-down meals as well as 200 pre-ordered delivery meals. On the menu was ham, parsley potatoes, carrots, green beans, coleslaw, rolls, cake and soft drinks. The meals were free and available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a sit-down dinner and two takeout meals allowed for each person. Treat bags were given to all.
A host of volunteers helped with serving and delivering the meals, including Somerset Trust Company, Connellsville Area High School鈥檚 National Honor Society, and the school鈥檚 cheerleading squad and boys and girls basketball teams. The high school chamber ensemble provided musical entertainment, and Santa Claus was on hand.
Sampey said the goal is for the dinner to become an annual event.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know what this year was going to bring because this is definitely our learning year. We鈥檙e just so grateful,鈥� she said of the community鈥檚 support for the telethon and the organization itself. 鈥淚f we keep doing this, maybe it will become our thing and something that people look forward to every year.鈥�