The Rockford community was glad to be together again for their annual Christmas meal. Last year the meal was scaled back to just takeout meals because of the pandemic.
But the organizers of the Together on Christmas dinner decided that they could hold the meal safely this year, by taking precautions by reducing the number of tables inside and still having the takeout option for those who wanted it. The meal was started by a couple of people who thought they would be nice to host a meal for people who didn’t have any place to go on Christmas and has grown into annual holiday tradition for the community.
“It started with serving a few people that year and providing desserts and making it a sit-down meal, they were being waited on and each year it has gained a little more momentum and more people came,” says Karla Butler. “We usually have more helpers than needed, and that is a very very good thing. It has grown, I think, because people feel welcome. It is a really good feeling of community, being helpful and the Christmas spirit.”
They expect to serve a few hundred meals on Saturday, but the most they have served was 900 a couple of years ago. This was the 16th year for the Together on Christmas Dinner, which is put on by the churches in the Rockford area.
