Nearly two dozen residents gathered at the community center for the free Christmas dinner. Below, volunteers Alex, Annie and Jan serve up Christmas dinner. Boy Scout Troop 105 also lent a hand during the free event.

     “As good as the food is, it’s being together that makes the day special. It is nice to be part of something special when you don’t have a place for Christmas,” said Acker.
     He said the event is about “good music, a prayer over the food, good family, and celebrating Jesus’ birth.” How could it not be a special day in Alpine,” he said.
     Many community volunteers made the dinner possible. Volunteers picked up those in need of a ride to the center. The food was provided by Albertsons through the Feeding America Program and by congregation members. Members of the community and of the congregation cooked.
     Boy Scouts from troop 105 and members of Acker’s congregation served. Members of the Free Teen Guitar Class, Nick Patton, Jack Arnold, and Alex Springer played guitar alongside Acker, with Beadle Hap Arnold providing lead vocals to the Christmas carols.
     Amongst those serving were mother-daughter servers, Steph and Alex Boyd, enjoying a rare opportunity to take time out on a major holiday to help others, while at the same time, spending some quality time together with great, big smiles on their faces.
     One of the Boy Scouts, John, hurriedly made sure his parents were well hydrated, pouring them drinks. Mom Liz, had greeted and provided name tags to attendees. This was her first year taking part in the event.
     Some took time out to admire the beautiful Christmas decorations, throughout the building. There were festively decorated Christmas trees, adorned with stuffed animals and presents underneath.
     Attendees dined on turkey, ham, green bean casserole, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and more. And don’t forget desert — various flavors of pie. Take your pick from pecan, apple, or good old pumpkin. A young volunteer, Emily, happily topped off the attendees choice with a dollop, or two, or three of whipped cream.
     This dinner is made possible all because a few caring members of the community helped launch the event years ago, and it took off from there. Charlie Howell and Doug Burrell are just a couple of such folks. Acker entered the picture when he kindly offered the services, efforts and volunteerism of his congregation. Both Howell and Burrell attended this year’s dinner. Howell, a daily volunteer at the community center, is a familiar face at events in Alpine.
     But this time, a different calling brought him to the center.
     “There are people who need it,” said Charlie, referring to the dinner. Charlie was in the holiday spirit, not only helping to accommodate others but by putting smiles on the faces of others through his jestful but generous nature.
     He said his heart melts during the holidays and not because of San Diego County’s warm weather. When he sees those less fortunate than he, Charlie loves to offer a helping hand. When he sees a family in need at, for example, at a grocery store, where he and others sometimes see the reality of these hard times and families struggling to pay for food, he reaches out.
     Charlie emphasizes the fact that the dinner is open to anybody, regardless of age. “If they would have been prejudiced, I would have been against them,” he said before making his way over to Nancy Graham, asking her how she enjoyed the dinner.
     “I always enjoy it. I love the people,” she happily replied.
     For many, attendance at the dinner has become a tradition.
     When it was all said and done, there were plenty of leftovers, thanks to the benevolence of all the food donors. Attendees were welcomed to take some home with them, perhaps to eat later or to share with another.
     Feeding America, formally known as America’s Second Harvest, is networked with over 200 food banks, serving all 50 states. Here in San Diego County, Albertsons is one of the key retailer partners of the Feeding America program, actively participating in a program that has brought hunger relief to over 25 million people in the U.S. Albertsons provided about half the food at this year’s Alpine Christmas Dinner.
     For more information on the Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity, visit www.AlpineAnglican.com. For more information on Feeding America, visit www.feedingamerica.org.


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