If you are looking for Christmas Spirit, you’ll find it here!
Guest blogger – Chef Ric Watson, Manager of Food Services at The Ottawa Mission
Christmas is around the corner and at our annual community dinner planned for Sunday, December 14th, we are preparing to serve an estimated 2200 meals! The Mission kitchen is a busy place 365 days a year, but at Christmas there is definitely something special in the air. Our dining room is decorated for the season and 2300 pounds of roast turkey and all the trimmings are being prepared in the kitchen. Add to that our amazing volunteers, who always share such energy and enthusiasm with me, and the Christmas spirit comes alive.
A lot of hard work goes into preparing for the big Christmas dinner meal but I know that everyone involved gets so much more back. Just seeing people who have so little smiling and enjoying their time with us is truly a gift. For each of them, this meal is a sign that someone cares about them and their sincere gratitude is heartwarming to experience. My hope is that anyone who is homeless, hungry or alone in our community has an opportunity to enjoy one of our special Christmas dinners. My philosophy is you have to eat well to be well and as a Chef, I want to ensure everyone has a delicious turkey dinner during the Christmas season.
So I want to say a special thank you – to our volunteers and our donors – for allowing us to bring good food, fellowship and hope to those in need this Christmas. I wish you all a blessed and peaceful Christmas season.
Chef Ric