CHIMACUM — Volunteers have stepped up to ensure there will be a free public Christmas feast in East Jefferson County this year.
One week after a public announcement that Olympic Community Action Programs had canceled its free Christmas feast, a volunteer group has assembled to take on the task.
“A lot of people have stepped forward,” said Pete Leenhouts, president of the East Jefferson Rotary Club, which provided the initial impetus to resuscitate the event.
“I have the confidence that we will come up with the support needed to make it happen.”
The free dinner — which had been held at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 West Valley Road, for 21 years — was canceled after OlyCAP officials determined the organization could no longer support the event.
Many volunteers had “aged out” and didn’t want to participate anymore, officials said.
The OlyCAP administration decided to support only one meal in 2015 and chose Thanksgiving since it has drawn more people in the past.
After hearing of the cancellation, Rotary members met to assemble a team and immediately came up with 15 volunteers, Leenhouts said.
Hadlock Building Supply owner Bill Kraut tackled the need for a chef, extracting a promise from Bob Goldberg, who had managed several meals in past years, and recruiting Jefferson Healthcare chef Arran Stark to pitch in.
“I couldn’t sleep at night knowing that this was not going to happen,” Kraut said of the event.
Another obstacle was knocked down Monday when an anonymous donor contributed $2,000 to cover the cost of the food, according to OlyCAP Executive Director Dale Wilson.
“It looks like we will manage the financial cost,” Wilson said.
“We are now in need of people with experience in organizing and managing this kind of event.”
Kraut acknowledged the rapid pace of assembling this year’s event, adding that planning for the 2016 dinners should begin right after the first of the year.
“A lot of the volunteers are old,” he said.
“I’d like us to mentor some younger people so they can take this over in the future.”
A meeting to discuss next steps is planned for 10 a.m. today at the Tri-Area Community Center.
One topic will be location.
Kraut would like to relocate to the Port Townsend Community Center because it has more kitchen space, while Leenhouts favors the Tri-Area center.
The dinner will most likely take place from noon to 3 p.m., Kraut said.
The Meals on Wheels program, which serves about 120 people, is a separate venture and still will be managed by OlyCAP, Wilson said.
For more information or to volunteer, call Kraut at 360-385-1771.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
