Volunteers will be needed from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to prepare for Christmas dinner at the United Gospel Rescue Mission, but drivers are needed to deliver the holiday meal Sunday.
“It’s going be a Sunday, everything will be just like Thanksgiving. Same time, 8 a.m. to 10:30 in the morning to get started for drivers,” said the Rev. Greg Kirk, executive director. “We need the two Ds: drivers and desserts. I’m worried we won’t have drivers because it’s Sunday.”
Kirk explained, “It seems we get a lot of drivers on Thanksgiving and they’ll say we had so many, maybe we don’t need to be there for Christmas. We will need you. I’m always worried about drivers. Drivers are the biggest problem right now, it seems like we don’t get enough.
“We’ve got to get the meals out to the houses. The drivers hold up the whole process. We really need drivers. I can’t stress that enough — and of course, dessert.”
The mission staff and volunteers get the home deliveries out before they begin serving meals to those coming to celebrate at the mission.
While Kirk hopes to begin serving lunch at the mission by 11:30 a.m., he admits it “probably will be 12 o’clock.”
“Of course, we’ll always be looking for financial donations,” he said. “Mike & Zach’s BBQ always helps us with the smokers. They are constant. Gamblin Lumber Company signed up helping us out with special gifts for Christmas, so that always helps. We’ve got support every month from a lot of people like you and moms or dads. The problem is when we come to these special holidays, we need that little extra boost. We really count on our business partners to come through with that one.”
Anyone wanting to have the Christmas meal delivered to them may call 573-785-4683 until Friday, Dec. 23.
“It’s the right time of the year to remember our Savior,” Kirk said. “He came to die for us and that’s what the whole season is about and that’s what the Rescue Mission is about, because we’re the United Gospel Rescue Mission.”