Holiday Task Force prepares for free Christmas Day dinner event

Officials with NyE Community Coalition's Holiday Task Force said this week, there's no excuse for any family or individual to spend Christmas Day hungry and alone on Friday.

For the eighth consecutive year, the coalition is providing a free Community Christmas Dinner at their 1020 E. Wilson Road location.

Holiday Task Force Co-Chair Linda Wright said the coalition is prepared to serve upward of 1,000 Christmas dinners this year.

"We will be serving up ham and turkey along with dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy," she said. "We will also have corn and rolls, so it will be a full dinner with dessert. It will be held at NyE Community Coalition's activity center from noon to 3 p.m. on Christmas Day, which is Friday."

Wright noted aside from dinner, the task force scheduled entertainment for the attendees, including a visitor who resides just north of the Pahrump Valley.

"Santa Claus will be on hand again this year and he will be talking with all the kids," she said. "We will have musical entertainment as well. It's a great way for local residents to socialize and have a good time."

Always busy this time of year, Santa will have some help with getting the toys to the kids.

On Monday, more than a dozen volunteers at the coalition were frantically wrapping a large assortment of toys in assembly-line fashion.

Volunteer Cassandra Selbach found a spot on the floor to wrap a toy, one of several hundred that will be given to a child, the youngest of which will get a stuffed animal.

"This will be the first year that Santa Claus will give out toys to the kids in attendance," she said while wrapping a gift. "Santa Claus will be passing them out to all the children who come. Our idea is to provide one gift to each child, and we have them categorized for boys, girls and their appropriate age groups. We had to code each gift so Santa Claus will know which toys go to which kids."

Additionally, Selbach, a mother of two children, said she plans to bring her family to the Christmas dinner.

"I will do Christmas morning with my kids and then as a family, we will come down and volunteer our time with the Christmas dinner," she said. "It is truly a fantastic experience for my children. I have an 8 year old and a 6 year old and it will be a good opportunity for them to serve and learn about the importance of giving."

Holiday Task Force Chairman Matt King said the organization was able to purchase the toys through the generosity of individuals in the community.

"We have a couple hundred toys that we are wrapping today that were either purchased through donations or donated directly to us throughout the year," he said.

Wright, noted the community dinner event would be nearly impossible to pull off without the assistance of volunteers.

"The volunteers are the heart of our Community Christmas Dinner, because without them, we just wouldn't be able to put it on," she said. "They are a very valuable component in putting on this Christmas dinner. We are able to do this primarily through donations from the community and other organizations in town."

Those who cannot attend the event can still enjoy a hot Christmas dinner in their own home, as the coalition made efforts to deliver the meals to homebound residents.

Linda DeMeo, who is overseeing those deliveries said individuals and families can have the meals delivered right to their front door.

Though she said the limit is four meals per household, she can be flexible.

"On Christmas Day I will be answering the phone until 12 p.m.," she said. "The earlier I receive the call, the better, so people can start calling right now. If you, or someone you know would enjoy a Christmas dinner delivered to their home, they can call me at (775) 209-4683."

DeMeo also said efforts are made to feed the valley's homeless population again this year.

"During Thanksgiving, we did 353 meals that were delivered to the homebound and the homeless," she said. "We had the drug court people involved and we asked whether anybody would be willing to go out into the desert to look for the people who don't want to come into the community. The individuals from drug court stepped up to the plate and we delivered 40 meals to various individuals living out in the desert. I really want to thank the individuals from the drug court who participated in that."

Wright, meanwhile said she hopes to see a large turnout from the community on Christmas Day.

"This is very important for anyone and everyone that doesn't want to be alone for Christmas or can't afford a nice Christmas," she said. "We want them to come out and enjoy themselves. This is free and open to the entire community not just the homeless in town. We are here to serve everybody."

Those interested in volunteering their time, or would like to make a monetary donation can call the coalition at (775) 727-9970.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harrs at sharris@pvtimes.com