Volunteers Show Spirit of Christmas by Serving Meals

Volunteers served a holiday meal to local residents at the Marion Ashley Center during the annual Menifee Christmas Dinner. Photo courtesy Menifee Christmas Dinner Facebook page

Volunteers at several sites in Menifee took time out from their own holiday plans to serve others on Christmas Day.

The annual Menifee Christmas Dinner attracted a large crowd as usual at Marion Ashley Center. The group of volunteers, headed by local resident Jimmy Canales, was created "by members of the community to teach our children that there is more to Christmas than just gifts under the tree," according to the group's Facebook page.

The Facebook page further explains that the event was open to "the homeless, people with financial difficulties, military families with a spouse on deployment, single parent families, seniors without extended family nearby, new families to our community, and anyone who doesn't want to be alone on Christmas Day."

There were toys and crafts for the children and Santa was available for pictures.

Across town in the Sun City community of Menifee, the United Church of Christ served 90 free dinners to people in need, the elderly and many others, said Rev. Bill Freeman.

"This was our first time serving free Christmas dinners," Freeman said. "That we served so many of them tells me people are hungry for food and hungry for companionship."

Freeman said Menifee UCC next plans to serve a free pancake breakfast on Easter Sunday.

Also in Sun City, The Concern Inc. delivered dinners on Christmas Eve to home-bound seniors, people with disabilities and veterans living in the area.