Charlotte church feeds on-the-go Christmas meals to the masses

One woman wanted the meals to help feed her eight grandchildren, all of whom she cares for while their parents are in prison. Another just wanted a pair of socks.

They are two of the hundreds of people in Charlotte that Amy Trochum has spoken with these past few weeks, as they sought to get their names on a list of people who got a Christmas meal Friday from St. Patrick Cathedral Church in Dilworth.

And while the meals meet a need, offering her services has also benefited Trochum, a 39-year-old parishioner at St. Patrick who lost her job at a tools company just before Thanksgiving. She said she wanted to use her job skills for something good.

“We’re helping as many people as we can,” she said.

The church has been helping for the past 30 years. Each Christmas, volunteers swarm a small kitchen inside the church’s elementary school, where they churn out restaurant-style delicacies that feed hundreds. They box the meals and pack their cars, delivering the food to people.

Volunteers this year served over 1,800 meals that consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, gravy and dessert. They partner with the Charlotte Housing Authority to drop off meals to the elderly and disabled, and “spend time with people who may not see anybody else on Christmas,” said Charlie O’Connor, who organizes the effort.

“It’s a heck of an operation,” but “today’s the day to follow the teachings of Jesus,” O’Connor said.

At noon, the church opened its doors to anyone who wanted to come in and grab a meal in the dining room. Wanda Alderman, 62, took them up on their offer and feasted on a plate of stuffing and mashed potatoes. She’s been eating at the church each Christmas for the past five years, she said.

At first, it was because she and her husband were homeless, she said. Today, they live in public housing, but she still seeks out the meals each Dec. 25.

“The people are nice and the food is different,” she said. “It’s meant a lot.”

This story was originally published December 25, 2015 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Charlotte church feeds on-the-go Christmas meals to the masses."