Food Pantry Serves Up Christmas Dinner

Whatever the reason, whether nowhere else to go to eat Christmas Dinner, hungry in need of a meal or if you want to perhaps start a new Christmas tradition, there's a place at the table for you this Sunday at the city's food pantry.

, which is located at 71 Wallis St., will provide a free meal, including turkey and ham with fixings, at noon on Christmas Day. All are invited.

Fixings will include: mashed potatoes with gravy, vegetables, stuffing and dessert.

According to executive director Alyse Barbash, 41 adults, including one family, participated last year in the first annual Christmas dinner at the pantry.

"People come because they may not have family to celebrate with, or they come every night for dinner, and they find this to be their family. It's the place to be for singles, couples and groups," said Barbash.

Besides a meal, those who came last year enjoyed Christmas carols, wrapped gifts from Santa and an environment decked out for the holidays, just as they will again this Sunday.

Normally dinner, cooked by a kitchen full of volunteers, is served (open-door style) Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. Peabody, Lynnfield and Salem residents (income documentation required) may also pick up food from the food pantry from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. those days.

Barbash said Sunday's leftovers will be distributed in the food pantry Monday.

"It'll be very similar as last year," she said. "It'll be a little more organized since I know what I'm doing. I hope more people will show up."