Hartselle Church of Christ feeds 600

Lauren Estes-Velez, Hartselle Enquirer

Each year, Hartselle Church of Christ members join together on Christmas day to prepare hundreds of meals for those in the community wanting a warm, homemade holiday dinner.

Church deacon Mark Reynolds said the church started this event in 2008 to help share joy in the community.

“This was our ninth year to do this on Christmas Day,” Reynolds said. “This year we made 600 plates.”

Approximately 200 volunteers from the church prepared, plated and delivered homemade food all over Morgan County.

“The food was all donated and cooked by members of the church,” Reynolds said. “The plates consisted of ham, dressing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, cranberry sauce, bread and a cupcake for dessert.”

On social media, the Committee on Church Cooperation in Decatur shared a comment to Hartselle Church of Christ stating, “Thank you to Hartselle Church of Christ for supplying delicious plated meals for our clients’ Christmas dinner today.

“The CCC distributed meals from our First Street location with the help of amazing volunteers from The Church at Stone River, Somerville United Methodist Church and many thoughtful individuals. The needy and homeless in Morgan County are continually blessed by our compassionate volunteers and donors.”

“Over the years we have made and delivered as few as 400 plates and as many as 850 plates, based on the needs of those in Morgan county,” Reynolds said. “We do deliver all over the county. My family delivered to Decatur, and others went to Falkville, Somerville, Danville, and so on. We took over the Hartselle route for delivery of the Meals on Wheels group, whose program is through Community Action of North Alabama.

“We did not allow people to come and eat at the church, but some in need stopped by the church to pick up plates.”