Sitting at Mass on Christmas day, Katie Kirkland felt grateful to be among her church family, but sad knowing that she and others like her would spend the rest of the holiday alone. Her conversion to Christianity a few years ago had left her estranged from her family and it was painful spending Christmas without them. “With Catholics in the world, no one should be alone ever — especially not on Christmas,” she thought to herself. As she contemplated the birth of her Savior, the idea for the Community Christmas Day Dinner was born.
Kirkland, a parishioner of St. John the Apostle Church in Leesburg, had a vision for a welcoming feast for those alone or in need on Christmas. Greeters would meet guests at the door and seat them with others around a festively decorated table. There would be delicious food prepared on site and served on real plates. There would be homemade cookies and pies for dessert and Christmas carols filling the air. The walls would be lined with Christmas trees, and underneath them, lots of gifts for children to choose from.
Kirkland shared her hopes with Father J.D. Jaffe, pastor of Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling, and he encouraged her to start the dinner there. After talking to other parishes around the country that host Christmas dinners, she got to work. Her first task was planning a dinner for hundreds of people in a facility without a commercial kitchen. “I ended up finding a list of 25 food trucks who circle around Loudoun County and I sent emails to all of them,” said Kirkland. Only one was interested in helping: Jules Foe-a-man of Jules Caribbean BBQ.
Foe-a-man starts preparing the meal on Christmas Eve and works through the night to have it ready in time for the dinner. He serves rice, cabbage and potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pulled pork, brisket, ribs and smoked turkey breast for the Muslim guests. Last year, they had almost 300 guests and more are expected this year. “By the end of the day I’m super tired, but your main concern is that everybody is happy,” he said. “There’s a lot of beautiful memories.”
Some 200 other volunteers also pitch in to make the dinner a success. Some distribute flyers to advertise the event. Many donate desserts, gifts or money. “Every year, I pretty much have (what I need) to the penny,” said Kirkland. Some decorate, or assemble gift bags filled with warm weather accessories. Others cut vegetables, plate the food, serve it to the guests or wash the dishes. The Abernathy family sings and plays instruments to accompany the meal with live Christmas music. Toward the end of the night, volunteers will drive meals to the homebound or others who have requested delivery. Leftover food is dropped off at police and fire stations or saved for a homeless shelter or clients of LINK, an ecumenical food pantry the parish supports. “Nothing is wasted,” said Kirkland.
Marilyn Leach and her daughter, Megan Marzzacco, first volunteered when the dinner began four years ago. “We met Katie and were amazed at all she was doing to promote, plan and orchestrate this beautiful event,” said Leach. “We quickly became friends. Now, it is something we look forward to every year. I feel like I am helping to spread Christmas joy to others.”
She loves turning the parish hall into a stunning Christmas wonderland and seeing the looks on the children’s faces as they enter the room. “Their eyes light up when they see the trees and toys under the trees. It is pure delight,” she said.
Kirkland sees God’s hand in all the little ways the dinner comes together each year. “The first year I wanted toys so badly but I had no money left and it was two days before Christmas,” she said. While dropping off flyers at a center for veterans, she met a woman who loved the idea of a Christmas dinner. “As I was leaving to go back to my car, she runs out and says, ‘We just had this big event with toys for kids and we have tons left over. Would that be something you would be interested in?’ I started crying.”
Another time, Kirkland got a call from a woman who saw her flyer and wanted to help. “She was dying, she had cancer. And she said, ‘I would love to give my Christmas decorations to you knowing that they’re used every year. That would bring me comfort,’ ” said Kirkland. “It’s little neat things like that that are beautiful and make it special.”
Last year, Kirkland had some new volunteers — her family. “I ended up getting sick and had a major surgery and it brought me and my family back together,” she said. “My brothers came with their kids and volunteered and my parents donated a good bit of money for toys and decorations. God is amazing.”
Though she and her family are reconciled, Kirkland and her small army of Christmas elves still plan to serve hundreds of people this year. “(This) is about making people who are struggling and alone feel like they matter in this big world where so often we all can get busy and fail to realize that we are the innkeeper turning someone away,” she said. “This event is about welcoming Jesus with all the hospitality he deserved as a baby coming into the world but was denied to him, and at the same time, chosen by him. All to show us that he did not see himself above us, but rather came down to us, giving up his throne and crown and comfort to come save and heal a lost and broken-hearted world.”
