Staff members and volunteers dressed in Santa hats and reindeer antlers dished out heaping helpings of food to needy and homeless residents of St. Thomas Wednesday at a Christmas Eve luncheon hosted by the Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands.
The luncheon was held at Bethlehem House, a shelter for the homeless that the organization operates in Hospital Ground.
After a blessing and a "Bon appetit" offered by Bishop Herbert Bevard of the St. Thomas Catholic Diocese, more than 50 people lined up to take part in the feast, which included plates of ham, turkey, chicken, fish, meatballs, and side dishes and salads prepared by volunteers.
"We like to have something for every taste," said Alvin Henley, the district manager of Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands, who said the luncheon has been held every year since the early ’90s. "We don’t know where our clients will be today after this, so we want to make this lunch special."
The lunch, which began at noon, was an opportunity for all in attendance to reflect on the meaning of the holidays.
"I feel happy to see the joy in people’s faces today," said Andrea Shillingford, the organization’s assistant director. "That’s the blessing."
Among those helping to prepare and serve food this year were the Morrises, a family of five visiting the territory from Boston. Mark Morris and his wife Marlene, along with their sons Josh, Ben, and Jacob, said they found out about the event via the Internet while searching for a way to give something back to the community during their vacation.
"You can only go to the beach so many times," Morris joked before bantering playfully with the crowd about Celtics basketball.
Community supporters of the organization were also honored at the luncheon for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Michael Akin, director of Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands, presented managers from the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef, who contribute to the organizations’ hot meals program, with a plaque of appreciation. Dr. Jeffrey Guller also received a plaque on behalf of the staff of the medical offices of Dr. George Rosenburg, who offer a free health clinic at Bethlehem House every other Saturday.
Akin has been the director of Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands for the past 12 years. He said that along with offering hot meals, temporary shelter, counseling and skills training, the organization has recently begun a program called Home at Last which offers permanent supportive housing on St. Thomas. There are seven individuals enrolled, but Akin said the goal is to eventually house 40.
"As long as God gives us strength we’ll continue feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless," said district manager Henley.
More information about Bethlehem House Shelter for the Homeless and Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands is available by calling the executive offices at 1-340-777-8518.