STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 11
Community Christmas Dinner
IN STILLWATER LETS NO ONE GO WITHOUT
For 40 years now in Stillwater a steadfast group of volunteers has prepared free Christmas dinner , stuffed stockings and organized toys for children and teens , and their families for the holiday .
People in the community may have heard about the Community Center Christmas dinner on Dec . 25 , when gifts are given to children and a holiday meal to all , but few outside of the group realize how long it ’ s been going on and how many attend and are served that day .
“ It ’ s open to everyone to in the community and it really is a fellowship of all ,” said Tisha Wilson , who has been the primary organizer for 10 years with her husband , Joe Wilson . “ We have everybody : Families , elderly , volunteers who come by themselves that day . It ’ s a wide variety of people with 100 to 120 volunteers and we ’ ll serve up to 900 meals .”
Stillwater resident and business owner Charles Kuepke organized the fest for 30 years before the Wilsons . Though not a formal nonprofit , they are Stillwater folks who donate time , money and goods and are known as the “ Friends of Stillwater .” Most people in the group are locals and regulars , though Wilson said on occasion people from out of town join and help .
“ We have a strong support group of friends and many of us are in the business community ,” she said .
The Wilsons are the owners of Stillwater Steel and Welding Supply . Wilson said for her family , helping at the annual event started when their children were little .
“ Every Christmas we would open gifts and eat breakfast and then we had the whole day . So we thought what better way to teach our kids about the spirit of giving than by volunteering that day for the dinner . We loved it so much it became a tradition ,” she said .
A decade ago Kuepke told the Wilsons he would like to start spending his Christmases at home and asked if they ’ d like to take it over . Wilson said she has no thoughts of stopping in her leadership role .
“ We have a small group of people , they don ’ t have to , but they choose to , come back year after year – I organize it and make sure all the ducks are in a row . When it comes to that day those people have been in their pivotal spots for years – it takes the stress off because you ’ re not teaching all new volunteers their roles ,” she said .
On the day of when people head to the Stillwater Community Center , where the dinner is held every year , they will see the room set up in holiday décor with tables and chairs .
PHOTO : Children who attend the Community Christmas Dinner receive toys and stocking stuffers .
Volunteers will bring them a drink and a plate of food . Every child that comes in for the dinner can go pick out their gift and stocking . Wilson said they also deliver meals to people on that day . Volunteers will start in the kitchen at 7 a . m . and dining room volunteers arrive at 10:30 a . m .
“ I would say there ’ s been a few Christmases that tugged on my heart more so than any others ,” she said . “ One I ’ m thinking of was about three years ago – we often ask people to call early to receive their meals – and sometimes there ’ s just something about their voice speaks to me in a way I can ’ t explain it .”
On occasion the dinner coordinators will run out of food , but Wilson said that hasn ’ t stopped their
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 11